


Twelve Minutes, One Psychiatrist, and a Single Moment

by micbb



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-05-11 10:15:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 57,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5623603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/micbb/pseuds/micbb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>50th fix. When the Doctor reset the universe, there were some effects that he never expected. Namely, the return of a former companion. The Big Bang (S5E13) with an extra companion, and it's result regarding the Day of the Doctor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Twelve Minutes

**Author's Note:**

> Obligatory 50th fix, because I'm completely obsessed with Rose.

The Doctor was tired. 

 

He was very, very tired.

 

He hadn't been this tired in a long time.

 

Or he'd been this tired for far, far too long.

 

He couldn't remember which it was.

 

He'd had an impossible day, and there was an impossible woman asleep on his ship.

 

In his bed.

 

Perhaps she'd been very, very tired for very, very long, too.

* * *

 A twelve-year old was dragging her very tired nanny to the museum. Literally. Rose Tyler felt her arm might be pulled right out if she didn't move her feet quick enough to follow her charge.

 

"This way!" Amelia called enthusiastically, letting go of Rose's hand and barreling her way through the museum, not stopping to look at any of the exhibits

 

"Amelia!" Rose gasped, chasing after the energetic redhead.

 

Rose Tyler knew something was off. Not just with her charge; Amelia's enthusiasm and energy seemed unparalleled. Even Rory struggled to keep up sometimes.

 

No, something was wrong with reality.

 

But no one else could feel it.

 

Except Amelia, which is what had drawn her to the child in the first place.

 

Posing as a childcare specialist, Rose Tyler had spent years looking for children who drew stars. Stars which, in this reality that was distinctly _unreal_ , didn't exist. She'd come across a few, but most had just had wild imaginations and relatively normal timelines. Since her… _incident_ …with the Time Vortex, and a long, unchanging life during which it seems she'd been continuously exposed and protected due to the Bad Wolf (she'd almost fallen off her chair when she'd seen the remnants of the Time Vortex lighting up her brain in the results of a scan she'd run on herself, concerned about the fact that she didn't seem to be aging), Rose had had the ability to see the timelines of those around her. At first, she'd thought it amusing: each person seemed to have a sort of line that reached up towards the sky, as though they were all puppets. With time and practice, she learned ignore them, not see them, isolate them…she felt like a musician plucking the delicate strings of a harp.

 

It was what allowed her to see that while many of the children she'd met would have relatively normal lives and _should_ have relatively normal lives, something was definitely strange about Amelia's.

 

Bad Wolf had permitted Rose much more than the ability to live a (very) long life in the body of a young adult; it had changed her mind to allow her to see different realities around her. This specific ability had given her a nasty headache – it seemed everywhere she turned, people made choices that affected reality. Eventually, however, Rose discovered she could tune out small changes and minute differences that didn't really affect the world in any significant way.

 

But then something had happened. A man had disappeared. Gone. Poof. Like magic.

 

Rose was absolutely certain that the Doctor's sudden disappearance from reality was very very not good.

 

In fact, she felt a searing pain, which had brought her to her knees, clutching her head. Her mind felt as though it were being ripped in half and the pain just went on, and on, and on…

 

And then Rose understood.

 

Whatever the Doctor had done, however he had managed to erase himself from reality, he had erased all of himselves.

 

Which meant that Rose suddenly had two versions of every event that happened to her, two lives that didn't add up. She remembered her world with the Doctor, but now she was stuck in this world that was _Doctor-less_.

 

So she had tracked down Amelia, the girl with the fracturing timeline that felt almost similar to Rose's own. With a bright smile and a flash of psychic paper suggesting she was very distinguished childcare professional, Rose

Tyler became Amelia Pond's psychiatrist.

 

Of sorts.

 

Whenever her Aunt Sharon was around, Amelia defended her belief in the stars as fiercely as any child would, while Rose gently scolded her and reminded her of what they could see outside, of how there were no stars, and how she was letting her imagination run wild.

 

Then in the evenings, Amelia would sneak out of her large house and meet Rose at the park that was close by. They would sit on the swings and Amelia would tell Rose about her dreams, her strange dreams of stars and other planets and _seeing_ them using a magical blue box, hand in hand with a bowtie-wearing, fez-sporting alien, English-speaking, floppy-haired alien. Rose would reassure the young girl that yes, something was indeed wrong. There certainly should be stars, because she remembered them, she could _see_ them in her mind. She knew their names and their constellations.

 

One night, Rose had been forlornly sitting on the swings in the park, kicking up sand with her well-worn trainers. She was remembering her other life, her life with the human Doctor in the other world. He was gone, she remembered. He'd died years and years ago, but the ache in her heart made it feel like it was only yesterday. She didn't remember how she'd ended up in her situation…she assumed that she'd been brought back to her original world when the Doctor had reset the universe – without him, she never would have been trapped – but she certainly didn't know how she'd ended up with a billfold containing psychic paper in her pocket. But she chose not to question it. It had been very useful, after all.

 

She was surprised to see a pajama-clad Amelia Pond, running towards her as fast as her small legs could propel her, something that Rose couldn't make out in her hand. She frowned and stood from the swing to shorten Amelia's run by a few steps.

 

"What's wrong?" Rose asked Amelia, her eyebrows puled down over her eyes as she crouched to be eye to eye with the young girl.

 

Amelia, still huffing and puffing from the run, pressed the papers she'd been holding into Rose's hands. It was a museum brochure, a slightly confused, slightly hopeful expression crossed Amelia's face. Cautiously, Rose opened the brochure to see that a certain exhibit, the Pandorica, had been circled several times in red pen, with a rather large arrow pointing to it.

 

Rose's frowned deepened and she felt nerves build up in her stomach. "Amelia," she said seriously, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder and looking at her seriously. "Who gave this to you?"

 

"Flip it over," Amelia said excitedly, still slightly out of breath.

 

Rose did, slowly turning the waxy paper in her hand. Along the side she saw what had Amelia so excited.

_Come along, Pond._

 

Rose took a deep breath, feeling a treacherous hope start to bloom in her core. "Okay," she breathed out. "Okay, we'll go tomorrow." She stood up

tall, wincing as her knees cracked loudly when they straightened. She affectionately ruffled Amelia's hair and walked her home, hand in hand.

 

Once the house was in sight, Amelia took off with a wave and a smile, which Rose returned.

 

When the young girl was out of sight, she let out a loud huff and ran her fingers through her hair. "Okay," she whispered to herself. "Okay."

 

So now there they were, in a crowded exhibit that was making Rose anxious. Out of habit, Rose carefully ran her eyes over everyone in the exhibit with what felt like a natural caution. Or distrust, she wasn't sure which.

 

When she caught up to Amelia, the young girl had already pushed herself to the front of the crowd to look at the Pandorica. Rose took her hand and gripped it tightly, lowering herself to be on the same level as the girl. "I know you're excited," Rose told her. "But we have to be very careful. We have to stick together. Understood?" She made sure Amelia knew she was serious by looking at her sternly.

 

Unbothered, Amelia nodded her head and took a sip of her soda. Out of nowhere, a hand reached out and snagged it from her. Both Rose and Amelia whipped around to find the culprit, only to see no one there. Amelia let out an annoyed huff, which made Rose smile. "I'll get you another." She told the girl, who smiled up at her thankfully. They turned back to the Pandorica to search for any clues as to why someone would want them there, and Amelia's eyes zeroed in on a yellow sticky note.

_Stick around, Pond_.

 

She grinned up at Rose, who quickly reached out and snatched the note from off of the historical object and observed it closely for any other hints as to what was going on. When she saw nothing else, she sighed and looked down to meet Amelia's wide green eyes. "This is going to be horribly boring, I'm afraid," she told her, though Amelia's eyes shone with excitement at the potential adventure.

 

They hid in an exhibit with some tall, fake grass. Rose's back hurt from slouching so she wouldn't be visible, but she said nothing. Silently and stealthily, she and Amelia waited until the museum was dark and they couldn't hear any sound before squeezing their way out.

 

Amelia reached for Rose's hand and held it tightly as they made their way through the dark museum, and Rose gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as they made their way back to the Pandorica. Though Rose was doing her best to be calm and reassuring, she felt a shiver make its way down her back.

 

When they finally reached the exhibit containing the Pandorica, Amelia and Rose shared a confused look before they made their way to the large box. Amelia let go of Rose's hand and ducked under the velvet rope to look at the box up close while Rose kept an eye on her and looked over the room suspiciously.

 

Amelia reached out and placed her palm against the stone of the Pandorica, jumping back when the box began to glow green. She ducked back under the velvet rope and stepped away from the box, crashing into Rose, who put her hand on the younger girl's shoulder and gripped it tightly.

 

A flash of light made them both blink and the box began to open. Rose felt her heart pound in her chest, making her ears roar, and she held her breath, still keeping a tight grip on her young charge, even if Amelia showed no signs of wanting to leave Rose's side for a second.

 

Strapped inside the box was a young woman with bright orange hand and a red scarf. Rose frowned and blinked a few times to allow her minds to see the timelines.

 

Oh, this was not good.

 

This was very, very not good.

 

"Okay, guys." The redhead said, an edge to her tone, "this is where it gets complicated." If there'd been any doubt in Rose's mind about who this girl was (which there wasn't, because the timelines didn't lie), the Scottish accent would have done away with it.

 

Moving quickly, Rose unstrapped the older Amelia from the seat in the Pandorica, holding her tightly as the woman stood and shook out her legs. She was careful not to let the younger Amelia touch her older self (blimey, this was confusing), but watched older Amelia with concern in her eyes.

 

"Rose," the older Amelia breathed, and Rose was hit with a wave of relief that Amelia knew her.

 

"Amelia," Rose smiled, watching the younger Amelia's eyebrows pull into a confused frown.

 

"Just Amy, now." Amelia – Amy – said with a grin. She let go of Rose to stretch properly and stepped away from the box. "Where's Rory?" Amy asked her, and Rose frowned, confused. Why would she know where her Rory was?

 

Amy seemed to understand and let out a huff, blinking rapidly so as to not shed any tears. She spotted a screen on the museum wall and went to it quickly, hitting the play button.

_According to legend, wherever the Pandorica was taken throughout its long history, the Centurion would be there, guarding it. He appears as an iconic image in the artwork of many cultures, and there are several documented accounts of his appearances, and his warnings to the many who attempted to open the box before its time. His last recorded appearance was during the London Blitz in 1941. The warehouse where the Pandorica was stored was destroyed by incendiary bombs, but the box itself was found the next morning, a safe distance from the blaze. There are eyewitness accounts from the night of the fire of a figure in Roman dress carrying the box from the flames. Since then, there have been no sightings of the lone Centurion, and many have speculated that if he ever existed, he perished in the fires of that night, performing one last act of devotion to the box he had pledged to protect for nearly 2000 years._

 

"Rory," Amy breathed, and Rose saw a few tears slip free, "Oh, Rory." She whispered again. Rose could hear the pain in that one whisper and looked away, feeling as though she were intruding on a private moment.

 

"EX-TER-MI-NATE!"A loud voice called. Rose felt as though she'd been punch in the gut. Moving quickly, she crouched down in front of Amelia to meet her wide, confused, and frightened eyes.

 

"Amelia," Rose said, making sure Amy could hear her. "Go to Amy. Do _not_ touch her, do you understand?" Amelia gave a frightened nod and ran to join Amy, who was looking at Rose with wide eyes. "Get behind her, Amelia," Rose positively growled, "Get behind her and _do not touch her!"_ Amelia did as she was told without question, wide eyes peeping around Amy to keep an eye on Rose. Rose was fairly sure that Amelia touching Amy wasn't a problem – they came from different realities, and there was no way that little Amelia in this reality would become this particular Amy – but she wasn't about to risk it.

 

Rose turned to face the attacker, a snarl on her face and her eyes glowing gold. She felt power build around her, and she wore it like a comfortable and regal cloak.

 

Out of nowhere, a tall man wearing a tweet vest, brown trousers that were slightly too short, a red bowtie, and had floppy hair materialized between Rose and the Dalek. The Wolf in her growled as the man got between her and her prey.

 

"Trouble!" He exclaimed, almost happily, before he turned around to see Rose, her face grimacing in anger and her eyes glowing brightly with the Time Vortex. "Rose! What?" The man – The _Doctor_ – started to say, before his eyes caught sight of the two Amelias only a few feet away. "Two of you? Complicated." He breathed.

 

"EXTERMINATE _,"_ The Dalek cried again, with more conviction this time, as though it were just waking up.

 

"Run," Rose snarled to the Doctor, who did not need to be told twice. Moving quickly, he went to the Amelias and grabbed each of their hands.

 

"Come along, Ponds!" He shouted as he dragged them away. He turned back when he noticed that one group member was decidedly _not_ following. "Rose! Rose, please, Rose! You have to _run_!"

 

Just as Rose was about to tear into her prey, the glow of a flashlight distracted her, tearing her eyes away from the alien in front of her. "What's going on?" the human man shouted, a security guard, presumably. Rose felt fear crawl its way up her throat at an innocent by stander. She heard the

 

Doctor yell at him to run, to leave, to get away, but the man just kept coming.

 

"DROP THE DEVICE." The Dalek demanded.

 

Device? The torch? Rose squinted to see the man behind the light, but it was far too dark.

 

"SCANS INDICATE INTRUDER UNARMED." The Dalek declared, dismissing the guard.

 

"Do you think?" The man demanded calmly, the torch falling to the floor.

 

Suddenly the man's _hand_ split open and shot at the Dalek. Rose, who was already in a defensive mode, felt torn – this man was obviously a threat; the Dalek had declared him unarmed before being shot – but the Dalek was still around, albeit wounded, and she found her attention split between the man and the Dalek.

 

"VISION IMPAIRED." The Dalek shouted to no one but itself as it retreated down a corridor of the museum. It seemed to power down before their eyes, shot dead by the man's shooty hand, which Rose was still eyeing carefully.

 

Out came the Doctor, sonic screwdriver out and all, once the Dalek was dead. Her vision cleared of goal and the weight of power left her shoulders. She gave her head a quick shake to clear her mind of the Wolf.

 

"Amy!" The man called, and as he came out of the shadows, Rose recognized him. He was older, obviously, which was why she hadn't recognized the voice, but the man standing before her was most certainly…

 

"Rory," Amy breathed, fresh tears coming to her eyes.

 

"Rose," Amelia whimpered, coming over to take Rose's hand and clutch it tightly. Rose protectively wrapped her arms around the girl's shoulders, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

 

As Rory and Amy hugged – reunited (though the kissing was knew, and Rose made a mental note to ask Amy about that later) the Doctor ambled over to her, pointing his screwdriver at her, his face deathly serious.

 

"Pond, step away from her." He said quietly, his voice dangerous. Amelia only hugged Rose's knees tighter, making Rose lift her eyes to glare at the unfamiliar Doctor, no matter how her heart soared at the sight of him.

 

"She knows me. This her doesn't know you." Rose told him quietly. "And we have a very important rule. We stick together. We most certainly do _not_ wander off." Amelia grinned up at Rose in response, but the real clue, the real hint in that sentence had been for the Doctor.

 

The Doctor advanced on her with long strides, looking at her carefully and almost angrily. He ran the screwdriver over her face, lighting it up with a green hue, and Rose simply raised an eyebrow and waited for him to be done. Dissatisfied with the results, he touched her face, looked into her eyes (watching pupil dilation, she assumed), smelled her hair. She simply rolled her eyes and let him do what he had to do.

 

"Rose Tyler," the Doctor finally whispered to her, leaning so that his forehead was against hers. "I never thought I'd see you again." He swallowed. "Am I hallucinating?"

 

Rose gave him a small smile hesitantly running her finger over his cheekbone, taking in his new face. "New new new Doctor." She said quietly, watching his eyes light up at the memory. She sighed. "I'm sorry, catching up will have to happen later," she said, not wanting to say the words and ruin the moment, but her mind would not calm while they were so close to a Dalek that may or may not be alive.

 

"Right as usual, Rose Tyler," the Doctor murmured before moving away from her. She followed quickly behind him, Amelia still clutching her hand. "Yeah, shut up, 'cause we've got to go. Come on." The Doctor snapped at Rory, obviously ruining a moment between reunited lovers. Rose rolled her eyes. Still rude, obviously. Whatever the Doctor said, however, had no effect but soon Rory and Amy were snogging again and Rose chuckled when the Doctor helplessly danced around them and Amelia covered her eyes.

 

"Rose," Amelia whispered, drawing her attention. Rose crouched. "I'm thirsty, can I get a drink?"

 

"Oh, it's all mouths today, isn't it?" The Doctor complained, overhearing the question. Rose glared at him in response, which he promptly ignored. "The light from the Pandorica…" The Doctor mused aloud, no longer paying attention to any of them. "It must have hit the Dalek."

 

The Dalek started to move, making them all jump. "Out!" Rose shouted loudly, getting Amy and Rory's attention. "Get out! _Out!"_ The five of them ran from the Dalek, out a door. The Doctor stopped to sonic the door locked (like that would work against a Dalek anyway) and pleasantly started talking to Rory.

 

"So! Two thousand years! How did you do?" He asked the younger man.

 

"Kept out of trouble," Rory said with a small shrug of indifference.

 

Two thousand years? That couldn't be right. Cautiously, Rose blinked and there were the timelines. She turned her gaze on Rory, gasping when she saw that his timeline was as complicated as Amy's, and the two swirled together and melded into one so perfectly that Rose had to fight back tears. She wasn't a believer in true love, but these two…people…that she only knew as children were always challenging what it was to _know_.

 

The Doctor's head whipped up at her gasp, and she blinked the timelines away. The Doctor _hmm'd_ at Rory's admission, stopping to free his hands of a fez by casually popping it onto his head. "How?" He asked, moving about.

 

"Unsuccessfully," Rory replied honestly, which made Rose laugh – a good, loud, honest laugh that she hadn't laughed in a long time.

 

The Doctor came up to her and pressed his finger to her lips, which made her stop laughing but her eyes were still crinkled as she grinned widely. "Fingers on lips," he whispered, a knowing smile on his face at the inside joke. She replaced his finger with hers with a conspiratorial wink.

 

"Hang on," Amy interrupted the moment, marching forward to stare at Rose and the Doctor. "Rose, how do you know about all this? About the Doctor, and what _was_ _that_ back there, with the Dalek?"

 

Rose struggled for words while the Doctor opted to ignore Amy and start moving about. "Amy…" Rose started. She nervously ran her hand through her hair and rubbed the back of her neck, a nervous tick she'd picked up from her Metacrisis Doctor in the reality that had never happened. "Before I met you," Rose stopped again, stumbling over words. There was no need to tell Amy that she'd travelled with the Doctor hundreds of years ago. "Before the Doctor was him, I travelled with him, and I know that doesn't make sense, but that's all I can tell you until we get out of this mess."

 

Amy set her jaw, about to argue, when Rory interrupted them.

 

The Doctor grabbed a mop to lock the door further, but Rory stopped him with one shout. "The mop!" He yelled, making the Doctor jump and turn to look at him quizzically. "That's how you looked all those years ago when you gave me the sonic." Rory told the confused Doctor.

 

"Ah." The Doctor replied, swinging the mop around so it rested in the crook of his elbow. "Well, no time to lose then." He punched coordinates into the _–_ Rose crinkled her nose distastefully – vortex manipulator and was gone in a second. He was back only a second later, jamming the mop to block the doorway before disappearing again. Rose wanted to roll her eyes but refrained.

 

"How can he do that?" Amelia whispered to her. "Is he magic?"

 

"No," Rose whispered loudly. "Just mad."

 

The Doctor reappeared. "Right!" He declared, taking off. Rose followed behind his companions, sensing a _but_. "Wait!" The Doctor shouted suddenly (basically the same as a but, Rose reasoned), "Now I don't have the sonic. I just gave it to Rory two thousand years ago. " He disappeared and reappeared, and Rose found herself quite fed up. He reached into Amy's pocket and pulled out the sonic before running off again. "No, hang on." He stopped again. Rose groaned audibly this time, and he shot her a look that said _calm down, drama queen_. "How did you know…" he advanced on Amelia, who simply looked up to Rose as if to say _is he for real..._ "to come here?" He finished.

 

Amelia looked to Rose, who quickly realized she had the papers in her pocket. She reached in and handed them to him. "Ah, my handwriting. Okay." He said quickly, grabbing museum brochures and going about his business. When he reappeared using the Vortex Manipulator, there was a soda pop in his hands, which he handed to Amelia. She took it gratefully and shot a grin at Rose.

 

"You said you'd get me another," She reminded her nanny.

 

Rose huffed. "Well, we were hidden in that weird penguin exhibit, weren't we? Didn't have time to get you a drink."

 

The Doctor paused, looking between the two of the suspiciously, before finally deciding to move on.

 

"What is that? How are you doing that?" Amy asked him.

 

"Vortex Manipulator," Rose replied for him, disgust seeping through her tone. "Absolutely _horrid_ form of time travel." Once again, Rose's unnatural knowledge of things she shouldn't know earned her a distrustful and confused look from Amy, which surprised Rose by hurting to her very core. She's known Amy since she'd been just a kid with no one to talk to, and now Amy didn't trust her?

 

The Doctor advanced on her, getting uncomfortably close to her face. "Rose Tyler," he tested the name on his tongue, taking his time with the words. He still wasn't sure she was really there, she realized. He doubted her. Which, she reasoned, would be perfectly normal, were she anyone but herself. He should know by now that she didn't play by Time's rules. "A quick test, I suppose," he allowed himself. "First word I said to you?"

 

Rose grinned. "First word _you_ said to me?" She repeated, flicking his floppy brown hair with a wide, tongue-touched grin that she knew he loved.

 

He grabbed her wrist and brought it away from his face, looking at her seriously. "First word, Rose Tyler."

 

She leaned close to his ear – close enough that she could feel his floppy brown hair tickling her face.

 

" _Run_ ," she whispered. With that word, oddly enough, she felt Amelia's grasp disappear from her fingers. Her heart squeezed in her chest – time was still collapsing and they were running very, very low on time.

 

He pulled away, sharing a secret grin with her that told her he was satisfied with her answer. He seemed to want to say more, but Amy drew his attention. "Doctor!" She snapped impatiently, "Where are we going?"

 

"The roof!" He declared, walking a few steps away from Rose.

 

Just then, a smoking, fez-less version of the Doctor appeared at the top of the stairwell, and all four eyes turned to look at him. He keeled over and rolled awkwardly down the stairs. Rose ran over to him at the bottom, crouching next to him and holding out her hand to the Doctor, who froze at her gesture but seemed to desperately want to see what was happening.

 

She leaned in close to his ear and whispered two words. " _Bad Wolf."_

 

His eyes shot open and he turned his head to whisper into her ear in turn. "Twelve minutes. Get me to the Pandorica. I can help you from there." It was a wheezing, breathless sort of whisper, and his breath made her own hair tickle her neck, but at least she had instructions now. The Doctor lay back down, and she heard the double thrum of a Time Lord heartbeat quiet significantly in his chest.

 

"Are you…I mean…are…you…Is he dead?" Amy stumbled over the words.

 

"Yes." Rose lied, straight-faced, eyes still on the soon-to-be-dead Doctor,

before snapping her gaze to the live one, who was watching her nervously.

 

"Twelve minutes." She told him.

 

He nodded. "Good." He replied, making his way up the steps.

 

"Twelve minutes to live?" Amy demanded, looking between the Doctor and Rose. "How is that good?"

 

"Oh, you can do loads in 12 minutes." The Doctor replied airily. "Suck a mind, buy a sledge, have a fast bath." He shrugged. "Come on, to the roof!" He declared.

 

"We can't leave you here, dead." Rory retorted, looking at the living Doctor in shock.

 

"Oh, good," the Doctor replied sarcastically. "Are you in charge now? Tell me, what are we going to do about Amelia?" Rose's eyes snapped to meet his, anger making them tinge gold. He met her gaze evenly for a few moments before looking away as Rory and Amy called for Amelia.

 

"Where's she go?" Amy asked, whirling on Rose, who could do nothing but look at her former friend with sad eyes. "What did you do?" Amy demanded, nearly shouting in Rose's face. Rose closed her eyes and looked away, her heart squeezing again.

 

"There is no Amelia." The Doctor interrupted. "From now on, there never was. History is still collapsing."

 

"How can I still be here if she's not?" Amy demanded, turning his attention to the Doctor.

 

The Doctor shrugged. "You're an anomaly. We all are. We're all just hanging on at the eye of the storm. But the eye is closing, and if we don't do something fast, reality will never have happened. Today, just dying is a result, now _come on."_

 

Amy turned to Rose for a more in depth answer, or at least, a more helpful one than he'd given, seeming to accept (though still with distrust) that Rose was rather knowledgeable about a wide variety of things. "You're Amy from the reality where there are stars. She was from the reality with no stars. Different worlds altogether. Under no circumstances does she become you. That's how you're still here." Rose explained as best she could.

 

"What about me?" Rory asked.

 

Rose turned, frowning at him. "You're a two thousand year old plastic Centurion," she said with a small smile. "Even I don't know what to make of you, Rory Williams."

 

Rose looked back down at the dead Doctor, running her thumb over his cheekbone lightly. "He won't die." Amy said with conviction. "Time can be rewritten. He'll find a way, I know he will." She sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than anyone else, but Rose let it go. Everyone dealt with the loss of the Doctor in their own way. The Doctor shouted at them to join him, and Rory looked at Rose expectantly.

 

"You go," Rose said with a small smile at the man. "I'll stay with him." Seeing how they wavered, unsure whether they should leave her, Rose waved them off. "Go. He'll get angry if you don't. Find me when you need to." Rory nodded tensely and the two took off.

 

Rose hid from the Dalek as it went after the living Doctor. Once it was gone, Rose began her work. She dragged the Doctor, cursing him for somehow being impossibly heavy in every regeneration, to the waiting Pandorica. She huffed as she dragged the man into the box, cursing him the whole way.

 

Her hands shook with the effort to get him into the seat in the centre of the Pandorica, but eventually she managed to drop him onto the seat – knowing he would have a sore rear was a small satisfaction when she thought of how sore her back would be from dragging him around. Expertly, she hooked him up to the Pandorica's machinery, routing in the Vortex Manipulator so that he could go through with his plan.

 

She knew the moment they finished on the roof when she heard their voices echoing through the halls of the museum, and turned her head to try to better understand what they were saying.

 

"Who told you that?" the first voice to echo loudly enough so that Rose could hear was a woman's, one she'd not met before. Which meant this was River Song. Rose had seen the woman during her quick peek at Rory's timeline, and felt a begrudging respect for her.

 

"He did!" That was Amy. _Wrong_. The Doctor hadn't said he was dead, Rose had and he simply hadn't argued or disagreed.

 

"Rule one," River retorted drily. "The Doctor lies."

 

Rose turned back to the Doctor and continued to strap him in. "You know," she said casually. "When I travelled, rule one was 'don't wander off''."

 

"'Course it was," the Doctor gasped through heaving gulps of air. "You were so jeopardy friendly." He gave her a wan smile, which she returned. When he was fully strapped in, she gave him a peck on the cheek and walked away from the Pandorica, allowing it to close.

 

" _Doctor!"_ She heard Amy shout from down the hall. Rose sighed, knowing that she would meet rage next. She turned her back to the Pandorica and turned to face the hallway through which three people were currently barreling. She stood with her feet about a foot apart, shoulders squared and arms behind her back in a casual resting position. She held her head tall and proud.

 

"What have you done to him?" Amy demanded as soon as she reached Rose, all fond memories of her as her nanny gone with Amelia. Now, her eyes glinted dangerously. River Song, for her part, kept her eyes on the Pandorica, and stood in a stance that was almost the same as Rose's. The two women turned to face each other.

 

"Rose Tyler," River acknowledged, the name leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

 

Rose inclined her head. "River Song. So nice to finally meet you."

 

"Didn't think I ever would," River admitted as she looked the blonde over.

"Hoped I wouldn't, actually. Did you know?"

 

Rose shrugged. "I saw the possibility." Rose chose to ignore the fact that

River had hoped never to meet her. River and the Doctor were romantically involved in a time line where Rose was still stuck in the parallel world, and she tried to force down the satisfaction that her return might put his

relationship with the woman in jeopardy.

 

"What is he going to do?" River asked her quietly.

 

Rose sighed. "The TARDIS is burning." River was clever, she was _so_ clever.

 

But she wasn't getting it. "So?" She demanded.

 

Rose lifted her chin, slightly annoyed that she had to explain the whole situation, "The TARDIS is burning at every point in time. If you threw the Pandorica into the explosion…right into the heart of the fire…" She trailed off, raising her eyebrows as River did the math.

 

When she finally finished, her eyebrows shot up on her forehead. "Oh." She breathed, and Rose gave her a tiny smile. "Let there be light." She said quietly. She turned to Rory and Amy. "The light from the Pandorica will explode everywhere at once. He's going to pilot the Pandorica into the explosion." She looked to Rose for confirmation, who said nothing, which

 

River figured meant she wasn't wrong.

 

"That would work?" Amy demanded.

 

Rose shrugged, at a loss for words.

 

Amy breathed out a shaky breath. "He didn't even say goodbye."

 

Rose examined her for a moment. "It didn't need saying." She said quietly, letting those words sink in between the four companions that waited for the Pandorica to take off. "It's speeding up." Rose said needlessly. "He's going now."

 

The Pandorica began to give off lightning strikes and to shake violently. The box glowed a violent, angry light before it crashed through the ceiling of the museum. "Geronimo." Rose whispered.

* * *

 

 

Rose laughed at all the appropriate moments during the speeches, she smiled at the couple, she drank champagne, and she clapped when the bride and groom kissed. And when tears started to flow down Amy's pale cheeks, she felt hope start to bubble in her stomach.

 

Rose hadn't forgotten the Doctor. Rose's mind didn't play by Time's rules.

 

But should couldn't bring this Doctor back, not this version, not this incarnation, because she simply didn't know him. So she had to wait with baited breath and hope to _whatever_ that Amy was as special as the Doctor believed. And when Amy desperately flipped through all the blank pages in

River's TARDIS journal Rose felt her heart start to pound.

 

This was it. Rose watched as Amy's eyes caught certain things; a young man's bowtie, an older man's braces. She bit her lip in anticipation.

 

"Shut up, dad." Amy suddenly said, interrupting her father's speech. "Sorry, but shut up, please. There's someone missing. Someone important. Someone so, so important."

 

"Amy, what's wrong?" Rory asked quietly and gently.

 

"Sorry," Amy said again, "Sorry everyone. But when I was a kid, I had an imaginary friend. The raggedy Doctor. _My_ raggedy Doctor. But he wasn't imaginary. He was real. I remember you!" She declared. "I remember!" tears were flowing freely down her cheeks Amelia's mothering was groaning about child psychiatrists and glaring at Rose, who was completely ignoring the older woman and keeping her eyes trained on Amy. "I brought the others back, I can bring you home, too! Raggedy man, I remember you, and _you are late for my wedding!_ " Glasses started to shake and the chandelier suddenly looked distinctively wobbly. "I found you. I found you in words, like you knew I would. That's why you told me the story. The brand new, ancient blue box." TARDIS engines started roaring through the hall.

 

With a few final words from Amy, and a very, very wide grin from Rose, the TARDIS appeared in the middle of the hall.

 

And out came the Doctor, dressed in a classy black suit with a white bowtie and scarf hanging around his neck, and a top hat perched on his floppy hair. Rose grinned at the sight of him.

 

As music blared and the Doctor enthusiastically danced with the children,

Rose sat quietly at the back of the room, unnoticed and at peace for the first time in a very, very long time. She bit her lip and lowered her eyes to her near empty champagne class. In an instant, he was there. She looked up and there stood the Doctor in his snazzy suit and top hat. She grinned at the sight of him, and he grinned back, offering his hand. She took it and allowed him to pull her up from her seat.

 

"Could I have this dance?" he asked formally as the music turned slow.

 

She tweaked his hat, ignoring the indignant noise he made in reply. "Doesn't the universe implode if the Doctor dances?" She asked him, a full, Rose Tyler, tongue-in-teeth grin on her lips.

 

He snorted derisively before pulling her to the dance floor. "I, personally, have had quite enough of the universe imploding," he said matter of factly. Carefully, giving her plenty of time to leave, he put his hands on her waist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He leaned his forehead against hers with a relieved sigh, and they began to sway slowly. For a few moments, they enjoyed the blissful togetherness that they hadn't shared in years, but the Doctor was never able to keep silent for long.

 

"How are you here?" He asked her, green eyes meeting honey hazel, his voice barely above a whisper.

 

She shrugged, "as far as I can tell," she murmured, "when _someone_ blew up the TARDIS," She pulled her forehead away for a moment to give him a glare, and he replied with a sheepish smile that had her smiling, "that _someone_ reset time. Hence, hello, original universe."

 

He leaned his forehead against hers again, and she let him, a content noise rising from her throat and making him tighten his grip on her hips. "But you _remember_." He whispered. "How?"

 

Rose separated their foreheads and rested her head on his shoulder instead, feeling a warmth in her core when he leaned against her more heavily. "That's something you're going to want to talk about in the TARDIS." She told him carefully and truthfully. She felt him tense momentarily, but soon enough he relaxed and gave a small nod of his head. He could wait a few hours.

 

He could.

 

Probably.

 

Maybe.

 

No, he couldn't.

 

A glimmer of amusement in his eyes, he grabbed untangled them and took one of her hands in his. "Run," he whispered.

 

So they did.

 

With practiced ease, the Doctor dragged Rose back to back to the TARDIS, both of them laughing as they ran. Rose paused, stopping relatively suddenly, when they reached the police box, pulled the Doctor back with a grunt on his part at the sudden stop.

 

"Oh," Rose whispered, running the hand that wasn't entangled with the Doctor's along the box. "You've changed." She felt the familiar tingle of the TARDIS in the back of her mind, and smiled widely at the ship's enthusiasm. "I'm happy to see you, too." She cooed.

 

The Doctor was smiling affectionately at her. "Rose Tyler," he said quietly before whirling around and putting his key in the lock. "You haven't seen anything yet!" And he pushed the door open, gesturing grandly for her to go

in first.

 

She laughed and curtsied, to which he responded with a sweeping bow, and made her way into the console room.

 

Her eyes widened and she stopped right at the door, her mouth popping open to take in the new, modern console that seemed to suit this new new new Doctor. She was reminded of the first time she'd entered the time-and-space ship, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. It wasn't disbelief this time.

It was awe.

 

"I didn't know she could change." Rose whispered as the Doctor removed his hat and made his way to the console, keeping an eye on her as he did so.

 

"She can." He said with a few bobs of his head. "It was mostly because of the regeneration. Very violent, tore apart the console room. She was angry with me for weeks. Held it off too long. So when I finally let go…" he made an exploding motion with his hands and mimicked the sound of an explosion. "Fire. Lots of fire. Whole console room caught fire." He was flailing his hands around and Rose raised her eyebrows, an amused smirk on her face as she moved towards the console, lightly running her fingers over the new console room and feeling the TARDIS's delight in her mind.

 

"It's Spock." Rose said with a tongue-in-teeth grin, looking at the Doctor through the corner of her eyes.

 

He frowned for a moment before laughing loudly. "Yes." He grinned. "Yeah, I suppose it is."

 

"So let me get this straight," Rose said as she slowly walked around the console, eyes locked with the Doctor's as her high heels clicked against the glass floor. "You tore the TARDIS apart in your regeneration," she started, lifting an eyebrow at him, "and then you went and blew her up? No wonder she's uncooperative sometimes." The ship hummed in agreement in Rose's mind, and she grinned and ran her fingers lightly over the new console.

 

"Oi," The Doctor grumbled, "don't you two gang up on me, that's not fair!" Rose said nothing, a mischievous grin growing on her lips. The Doctor smiled at her smile. He came around the console to stand next to her, hand reaching out to cup her cheek. "Rose Tyler," he whispered.

 

They stayed still for a few moments, eyes locked, green to hazel, ancient eyes meeting relatively young. Rose smiled affectionately at him before stepping away so she wouldn't get completely entranced. "Come on then, Raggedy Man," she said, tongue poking out from between her teeth, as she used Amy's nickname for him. "Take us into the Vortex."

 

He seemed to panic slightly when she stepped away from him, so she came close again and this time it was her hand that extended to his cheek, running her thumb along his cheekbone lightly. "I'll explain everything. I promise." She told him reassuringly, meeting his eyes again so he would

know she was telling the truth.

 

He took a deep breath before smiling at her and beginning his dance around the console. He flapped his arms about, twirling and skipping around the console, hitting buttons, pulling levers, turning cranks. Rose made sure there was no hammer visible anywhere, intending to hide it from him if there was, and felt the TARDIS's shimmering amusement in her mind. Rose braced herself for the take off, finding it harder to stay upright in the ridiculous heels that Amy had wanted her to wear.

 

Thinking of Amy made guilt bloom in Rose's stomach as they took off, but she knew that the Doctor would get her later.

 

Once they were in the Vortex, the Doctor came to her side again take her hand with a wide smile. "To the library?" He suggested.

 

"Do you mind if I change first?" She asked him, looking down at her short pink dress.

 

He seemed reluctant to let her go, but he did, and she made her way down the not-so-familiar corridors until she spotted her door – a familiar, simple wooden door with a delicate rose carved into the wood. She smiled at the sight of it, running her fingers over the ornate carving before opening the door and stepping into her bedroom.

 

Suddenly, in a sea of pink and what could only be described as a disastrous mess, Rose felt nineteen again, pulling on a pair of trainers and leaving her clothes in a heap on the ground so that she could run off as quickly as possible to the next adventure. She spotted her jacket – the one she'd left in the console room before going on her last adventure – carefully placed on the unmade bed, and she the memory made tears well in her eyes.

 

"Rose?" She heard the Doctor call her, his shoes echoing as he walked down the corridor.

 

She poked her head out of her room. "Yeah?"

 

"Oh," he blinked, looking at her and the door in surprise, his eyes looking over her shoulder quickly as he took in the room of his former companion. She thought she saw him wince slightly when he spotted her jacket, which only made her throat constrict. "I was actually coming to tell you that your room might not be here anymore." He was no longer in his suit, back to his usual tweed and bowtie.

 

Rose frowned. "Why wouldn't my room be here?"

 

He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "The TARDIS sometimes gets rid of unnecessary rooms, especially after such a violent regeneration, or, you know…"

 

"Blowing up?" Rose supplemented with a wicked grin. The Time Lord looked at her sheepishly. "Well, I don't hit the console with a hammer. She and I get along." Rose said with a wink before disappearing back into her bedroom to quickly shimmy out of her dress and slip into a pair of comfortable black trousers and a pink hoodie. Strappy silver high heels were replaced with wool socks, and Rose opened the door to see the Doctor leaning against the wall, waiting patiently for her.

 

She reached up to tweak his red bowtie, a knowing glint in her eye. She smiled widely at him, meeting his gaze, "bowties are cool." She said before offering her hand.

 

He took it gratefully, and she thought she heard a small sigh when their skin touched. She smiled at him and let him tug her down the corridor into the library. Once back in the familiar room, she grinned widely, letting go of his hand to skip over to the couch and sit heavily, bring up her legs to half lie down.

 

The Doctor stayed in the doorway, looking at the library in surprise, making Rose lift her eyebrows. He met her confused look and told her, "The library hasn't looked like this since you left." The words seemed to stick in his throat, as though he didn't quite want to say them. Rose smiled reassuringly at him, letting him take his time before he came over to join her on the couch. He lifted her feet and sat in their place, letting her legs rest on his thighs as he places his open palms on her shins. He didn't seem to want to stop touching her, as though if he stopped she might disappear.

 

"Where do you want me to start?" She asked him, running her hand through her hair.

 

"From the beginning." He told her, his face serious.

 

She swallowed. "Okay. When I was nineteen, this daft alien blew up my job, then told me to forget him, then showed up at my flat…hey!" she squealed as she shoved her, making them both laugh.

 

"You know what I meant," he told her with a grin.

 

She grinned and then sighed. "Okay. So when you left me on that beach – _again_ – Pete came to pick us up at the beach and took us home. We lived with my mum and him for the first little while, but John – that's what he ended up calling himself, by the way – was driving my mum barmy – she had to buy three new toasters in the six weeks we were there," Rose laughed, and the Doctor laughed with her. "Anyway, we ended up getting out own flat not too far from Torchwood, where we both ended up working. Experts in aliens, us," she told him with a distinctive Rose Tyler grin, "and we were _happy_ , just like you wanted. We worked on the same team until John retired. He was eighty-seven when he died." Her smile disappeared and she felt tears start to pool in her eyes, and she cursed her treacherous body. The Doctor tightened his grip on her legs reassuringly, not saying anything. "His memory went first. He resented me so much at the end. He didn't understand why I was keeping him at the flat, why he couldn't just go back to the TARDIS. He yelled when I called him John, he called me a liar when I tried to remind him. He remembered at the very end, though. He thanked me for taking care of him, apologized for leaving me. It was…harder. Harder than I ever thought it could be. I realized that I understood why you left us behind." She looked away from him for the first time. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

 

"Your family?" He asked her, his voice barely above a whisper.

 

"Gone. Dead." She replied simply, a few tears making their way down her cheeks before she could stop them.

 

He let out a heavy breath. "I'm so sorry, Rose."

 

"Don't be." She told him, her voice hardening with resolve. "You gave me a happy life, Doctor. You gave me a life with you. It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't easy, but I loved him. I loved you."

 

The Doctor felt his heart constrict. _Loved_. Past tense. He tried not to read too much into that. "He retired," he clarified, looking at her in confusing, and she thought she might see some fear in his eyes. "He died of old age." He said. She nodded. "But you…you're not…I mean…you're still…" he trailed off, looking at her hopelessly.

 

She pursed her lips. "You want me to say that when you reset the universe, it reset my life, bringing back to the age I was when I left." She said knowingly, "but I can't." the fear that she could definitely see now grew stronger, and his grip on her legs was so tight it almost hurt. Almost. "No, Doctor, this is the face I've had for about…" she trailed off, squinting as she tried to remember, "two hundred years? Two hundred and fifty? I can't remember." She said with a shrug.

 

His posture was so tense she though he might crack if she touched him, so she let him process that information in silence, simply waiting patiently for him to be ready to keep talking. Eventually, she began to hum a small tune quietly to distract herself.

 

"You don't age." He finally said.

 

"No, I don't." She replied agreeably.

 

"This is my fault," he whispered, and Rose felt the sudden urge to refute, to comfort, to reassure. He seemed so broken, so tired in that one instant, and Rose felt her heart squeeze in her chest.

 

"No." She told him vehemently. "No, Doctor. What I did was my choice, not yours." She told him, waiting for him to lift his head and meet her eyes to see the honesty and the promise in them. When he didn't, she reached over and gently lifted his head with her fingertips under his prominent chin, forcing him to look at her. "This is not your fault." She told him again.

 

He sighed. "What else did… _it_ …do to you?" He asked her.

 

She frowned for a moment, keeping their gazes locked, before she let out a sigh as well. "A few things. More practical metabolism, faster processing power, I can see timelines, see how things should happen, sometimes, and who's lives are intertwined."

 

He took a quick breath. "So at the museum, when you gasped when you looked at Rory…?"

 

She let out an easy smile. "Yeah. 'S'beautiful, isn't it?"

 

He let out a chuckle. "Yeah. Yeah, it really is."

 

She let out a watery giggle before continuing. "I'm also touch-telepathic now," she ignored his look of surprise. "The thing with the timelines means that I can retain memories from different realities. You gave me a hell of a headache when you disappeared, and when the stars went out." She let out another chuckle. "And…um…I think that's it." She finished.

 

He stared at her for several minutes. "You're telepathic?" He gasped.

_Yes_ , she pushed the word at his mind with a smile, watching his eyes widen and light up. He grinned widely for a moment before it disappeared back behind his somber eyes. "And Amy? She knows you. How does she know you?"

 

Rose sighed. "It's kind of hard to explain," she said. "When the stars blacked out – which, by the way, I spent years running across dimensions to stop, and then you just big fat went and did it anyway," she said accusingly, flicking his floppy hair and earning a small smile for her troubles. "Anyway, when the stars blacked out, there were some children who retained the memories. I tracked them down, and eventually I ended up with Amy. I posed as a child psychiatrist so that I could learn what she remembered, and I told her that she wasn't crazy, she was right, and that I was trying to sort it. When she grew up, we stayed in touch."

 

"That's why you were at the museum with Amelia," the Doctor breathed in realization. She nodded. "And…" he started unsurely, "you had a good life with him? Even if you couldn't grow old together?"

 

Rose smiled. "Would you like to see?" She offered, offering him her open hands.

 

"Oh, Rose," He whispered. "Yes please."

 

She smiled and lightly placed her fingers on his temples. He let out a strangled moan as her presence filled his mind, which made her smile. She pushed the memories in direction.

 

* * *

 

" _I'm sorry, Rose. I'm so sorry."_

* * *

 

 

" _Are you ready for life on the slow path, Doctor?"_

* * *

 

 

" _Get your hands off my toaster, you bloody alien!"_

* * *

 

 

" _What about this one, John? Two bedrooms, one bath. Nice kitchen, close to work."_

 

" _Two bedrooms?"_

 

" _Well, for if we have guests."_

* * *

 

 

" _Welcome to Torchwood, John Noble."_

* * *

 

 

" _You can't stop them from saluting now, love."_

* * *

 

 

" _Marry me?"_

 

" _What?"_

 

" _Marry me, Rose Tyler."_

 

" _You really think now's the best time to ask?"_

 

" _Oh please. There's no better time than something other than your run of_ _the mill invasion. Need the excitement, us."_

 

" _It certainly is very us._

 

" _Is that a yes?"_

 

" _Yes."_

* * *

 

 

" _I love you, Rose."_

* * *

 

 

" _No, John."_

 

" _But, Rose –"_

 

" _John, I'm not having you dressed like your sixth self at our wedding!"_

* * *

 

 

" _I now pronounce you husband and wife."_

* * *

 

 

" _Barcelona! No noseless dogs, but it'll have to do."_

* * *

 

 

" _John…"_

 

" _What?"_

 

" _John, I don't think I'm aging."_

* * *

 

 

" _Only you would want to visit Russia in the middle of winter, you daft alien."_

 

" _Ah, but I'm your daft alien."_

 

" _Don't you forget it."_

* * *

 

  

" _You're in the parallel world, John, we don't have a TARDIS."_

 

" _You're lying!"_

* * *

 

 

" _I'm sorry Rose. I'm so sorry."_

 

" _Don't be, my Doctor. I've lived a lifetime with you. I'll never regret it, and_ _I'll never stop loving you."_

 

" _I'm afraid to close my eyes."_

 

" _Don't be. Close your eyes, rest for once. I'll stay with you."_

 

" _For how long?"_

 

" _Forever."_

* * *

 

 

In minutes, Rose's entire life with John Noble flashed through the Doctor's mind. When she finally removed her hands from his temples, he blinked a few times to readjust to the light, before he reached over and gathered her into his arms, hugging her tight to his chest as best he could with her legs still over his. She returned the hug with as much force as him.

 

"Thank you, Rose," he whispered to her. "And I'm so sorry."

 

"I lived a great life, Doctor." She promised him. "Now, though, I think it's time I went to bed. I feel like I haven't slept in years." She saw panic in his eyes and gently ran her finger through his hair in what she hoped was a soothing motion. "Come with me."

 

"What?" He squeaked.

 

"Not like that," she grinned and slapped his shoulder. "Just…lay with me. You look like you could do with some sleep yourself."

 

He regarded her with serious eyes for a few moments, before nodding. She pulled her legs off of his to allow him to stand, then took his offered hand to help her get to her own feet. She let him lead the way to his bedroom rather than hers. Once in his bedroom, she went to the drawer and pulled it open, hoping the TARDIS would provide for her.

 

The ship did so gladly, and Rose pulled a pair of simple back shorts and a pink jimjams top out of the drawer. She took the clothes into the Doctor's bathroom and changed quickly, folding the clothes she'd been wearing previously. When she emerged from the bathroom, the Doctor was in his own jimjams – a sight which brought very fond memories for Rose – and was under his blankets, his head resting on his hands as he looked up at the ceiling. She joined him, sliding under his covers and getting in the same position he was in, turning her head to meet his gaze. He turned his head and gave her a small smile when he saw her looking at him.

 

It wasn't the first time Rose had slept in the same bed as the Doctor. When she'd travelled with his leather and pinstriped selves, they'd sometimes slept in the same bed after particularly frightening adventures – their encounter with the devil came to mind – or if one was having nightmares while the other was in earshot. She recalled being scared half to death when she'd been returning to her bedroom from the galley one night after a cup of tea, and out of nowhere she's heard him shouting. Loudly. When she'd finally found him, he'd been twisting and turning and still shouting. She'd come to the edge of his bed and cautiously woken him up.

 

His eyes had snapped open, electric blue meeting hazel, and he'd breathed out her name. Cautiously, she'd reached out to stroke his face, to reassure him. He'd caught her hand and pulled her so she'd climbed on the bed. She'd turned into his side while still whispering reassurances and he'd hugged her tight to him, like he was clinging onto a lifeline.

 

"I missed you." She told him quietly as his green gaze continued to look into her eyes.

 

"Rose Tyler," he whispered, reaching over to brush hair from her face. With that motion, two very, very tired people cuddled up in a large bed, holding each other as they finally closed their eyes to sleep.


	2. One Psychiatrist

The Doctor hadn't moved in several minutes, which was unusual in itself.

After falling asleep in his very comfortable bed, with Rose Tyler sleeping next to him, the Doctor found himself blinking awake, his eyes struggling to adjust to the darkness of the room, waking slowly from a sound sleep that had been free of nightmares for the first time in a long time. Usually, when he woke, the TARDIS would kindly light up his room so that he would wake fully. Now, though, the TARDIS remained dark.

It didn't take him long to figure out why.

Rose Tyler was still curled up next to him, eyes closed and breathing deeply and regularly. He tried not to be surprised by this, it had only been – he sorted through his time sense – three hours since they'd slid under the blankets of his bed. It was nice, the Doctor realized, waking up next to her, seeing her peacefully resting. He got the feeling it wasn't a regular occurrence. He found himself feeling illogically jealous of his half-human self, who'd gotten to wake up next to her every morning, who, as he'd seen in her memories, had cuddled up with her, been cuddled by her, had held her, had – ahem –  _danced_.

He carefully looked at her relaxed face, all tension gone, eyes lightly shut, and mouth hanging open slightly. Her hair was falling, lock by lock, in front of her face, and he found himself reaching over and carefully tucking the hair behind her ear. He tried to dampen the thrill that went through his core when she subconsciously leaned into his touch. He found himself moving so that he was closer to her and wrapping her arms around her, holding her tight to his chest. She sighed into the embrace, her arm coming to casually rest over his hip. He felt a smile tug at his lips and he lightly kissed the top of her head, sniffing her hair as he did so.

She still smelled the same, he marveled as he breathed in her familiar, comforting scent. Her single heartbeat sounded like a lullaby in his mind, and, feeling rather comfortable with Rose Tyler wrapped up in his arms, he closed his eyes again to sleep a little longer.

When he woke the second time, he was alone in his beds and the TARDIS brightened the lights immediately. He squinted against the change and looked over at the currently empty side of the bed where Rose had been sleeping. He felt panic surge through his chest for a moment – had she disappeared? Had she been pulled back to the parallel world? Had she woken up in his embrace and fled, not waiting him? The TARDIS hummed in amusement in his mind and urged him to listen to the sounds around him. He did so, and realized he could hear the shower in his ensuite running. He breathed a sigh of relief and calmed his racing hearts.

He was still struggling with the idea that Rose Tyler, the girl he'd dropped off in an alternate universe not once, but twice, had managed to defy all the odds and come back to him. He shouldn't be surprised, he reasoned with himself, Rose had never seemed particularly affected by the rules of the universe, taking the Time Vortex into her head to save him, befriending a TARDIS even before becoming telepathic, showing mercy to a Dalek…at every turn, she was impossible.

Pride soared through him as he thought of her, of the life she'd lead in Pete's World, of the choices she'd made. She never put herself first, that girl.

The shower turned off and he heard the shower door open and close. He ignored the small thrill that went through him when he thought of Rose Tyler in his shower.

She emerged from the bathroom in a haze of steam, skin pink from the hot water and cheeks flushed. She was wearing simple blue jeans and a yellow t-shirt that hugged her curves, and the Doctor had to tear his eyes away so he wouldn't stare. She was rubbing a towel through her damp hair, which was still dripping and leaving watermarks on the shirt.

"Blimey, I needed that," she said as she tossed the towel she'd been using on her hair into the hamper. Then she turned her gaze to the Doctor, still in his bed and watching her carefully, and smiled, tongue poking out from between her teeth. "Morning, sleepyhead."

"No mornings on the TARDIS, Rose," he replied automatically, smiling at her and knowing that those words would remind her of his past selves and their time on the TARDIS together.

Rose let out a small laugh and shook her head at him, moving to the door. He felt a moment of panic in his chest at the thought of her leaving his sight again, but he shook his head at his own foolishness. "I'm going to get a cuppa. You still take yours the same?" She asked him.

"Yeah," he smiled at her gratefully. She returned his smile and quietly left the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

It was strange, he thought as he left his bed, to have Rose Tyler back with him on the TARDIS. When he'd lost her to the parallel world, he'd spent years looking for her, searching for any crack, any pinprick in the wall that separated the universe. He'd turned desperate, and at one time the TARDIS had locked him out after he'd attempted to take her through the void.

He vividly recalled that time in his life, the rage and loneliness that had come from losing Rose, his Rose, had caused him more pain than he ever could have imagined.

And now here she was, smiling at him and cuddling with him and just all around being so  _Rose_  that it was almost painful. He wished he could go back to see his tenth self and tell him that she would find them again, that he just had to push forward and put his faith in their girl because honestly, when had she ever let him down?

He realized then that he didn't know if Rose was planning to stay with him, and the thought made him freeze, his trousers undone and only one arm in his sleeve. He swallowed, uncomfortable at the thought, before giving himself a shake and getting his clothes on properly. Once dressed, he snapped his braces and threw an untied bowtie around his neck, eager to join Rose in the galley.

She was sitting at the table, legs crossed, a mug of tea in her one hand, the other propping open the pages of a thick book, which she was reading intently. He smiled at the sight of her, though he must have stood in the doorway too long, catching her attention and making her lift her head. Once she met his gaze she grinned at him, her eyes lingering on the untied bowtie wrapped around his neck. She rose from her spot at the table, leaving her book and mug to grab another steaming mug that he hadn't seen before. She placed it on the table across from where she'd been sitting and grinned at him.

He made his way into the galley and went directly to a cupboard and pulled out a package of jammie dodgers, tearing it open and stuffing one into his mouth. She raised her eyebrows at him but said nothing, moving closer to him quickly and using her deft fingers to tie the bowtie and straightening his collar. Then she returned to her seat. She folded down the corner of her page in the book and closed it, shoving it out of the way and pulling her mug in front of her, cupping it in both hands as she faced him.

He sat across from her, setting down the packet of biscuits and taking a sip of his tea, humming in content because it was just right, made perfectly to his liking in a way that only Rose Tyler could do. She grinned at his obvious pleasure and took a sip of her own tea.

When he said nothing for several minutes, she frowned at him. She took the final gulp of her tea and stood from her seat, placing her mug on the counter before turning to look at him, one hand on her hip. "You alright?"

The Doctor swallowed the bite he'd taken from his biscuit and cleared his throat. "Well, logically speaking, I know you're here, because it makes sense and I saw your memories, so I know it's really you and I know you're here, but Rose, I…" he trailed off. "I can't seem to convince myself that you're really here." He left his seat and moved so that he was right in front of her, only a few inches away. He brought up a hand and carefully, very lightly, ran his fingertips around the edge of her face. "Rose…I nearly tore holes in the fabric of reality trying to get back to you, to find you. My last self…he wanted you back so desperately.  _I_ wanted you back so desperately. And now…"

She reached up and gently took the hand that was touching her face in hers. "And now here I am." She finished for him. He nodded and she squeezed his hand, smiling uncertainly at him. "Doctor…if this isn't what you want…if you've moved on, I don't have to stay. I could go live with Jack, I'm sure he could use another Torchwood agent, yeah? Especially one that can stick around for a few centuries."

The Doctor felt his whole system seize up, and his respiratory bypass kicked in when he didn't take a breath for several minutes. He loosened his grip on her fingers and stepped away as though she'd burned him. Her eyebrows shot up and she looked at him with concern and fear on her face, biting her lip uncertainly. "Is that what  _you_  want?" He choked out, cursing himself and his voice, which cracked as he spoke. His hearts were pounding away in his chest, his breathing uneven and shaky with fear

She rushed to his side, taking both his hands this time and holding them tightly, meeting his wide eyes with her own. "No! I want…"she trailed off, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before opening them again and giving him a watery small smile. "I want to stay with you. I promised you forever."

He let go of her hands, watching hurt cross her expression briefly before he pulled her into a strong hug, his arms wrapping desperately around her waist as he tucked his face in the crook of her neck. He was taller than his past self, and he had to stoop down a bit to get a good angle, but that didn't matter because a fraction of a second later she was wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him back just as desperately, pressing herself against him as though she was trying to occupy the same space as him.

They stayed that way for several minutes, reveling in each other's presence and warmth. Through the skin-to-skin contact, they could feel their love for each other, all the feelings they weren't quite sure how to express. The Doctor was taken aback by the strength of Rose's love for him, her belief in him, her admiration, and her devotion. Rose could feel his love for her, how much he'd missed her, how desperate he'd been for her acceptance, her friendship, her love. It left her breathless.

Hesitantly, she pulled away from the hug slightly, watching the Doctor's face as he did the same. He met her eyes for a moment, the love still tangible through their contact, and tentatively, he pressed his lips to hers.

* * *

"Doctor?"

The Doctor looked up from the book he was reading, seating in a confortable recliner in the library.

Rose had left moments ago to get herself a cuppa, and he was surprised to hear her calling. Surely she couldn't have gotten herself lost in the corridors? Rose had never gotten lost in the TARDIS before. But when she called his name again he rose from his seat and poked his head out the door, frowning when he couldn't see Rose.

"Where are you?" He asked airily, making his way through the halls, a frown on his face as he poked his head in the rooms he walked past.

"Console room." Came the reply.

"Ah, well that's easy," the Doctor mumbled, picking up the pace slightly as he half jogged into the console room, jumping down the stairs rather than walking the steps, and landing with a flourish.

Rose was leaning casually on the console, frowning at a blue envelope. When she felt his warmth next to her, one of his arms casually sliding behind her back and stopping at her hip, she looked up to meet his eyes, a frown still tugging her eyebrows together. She held up the letter. "We seem to have gotten mail."

The Doctor plucked the letter from her fingers and turned it over in his hands a few times, looking for any clue as to who it might have come from. He found nothing except for a small number one on the front of the TARDIS-blue envelope. Cautiously, he opened it and pulled out the contents.

"Is that an invitation?" Rose asked, leaning over to get a better look at the item.

"Looks like it."

"From who?"

"Don't know."

Rose's eyebrows shot up and she snatched the paper from his hands, ignoring his protests. "Who'd send you coordinates?"

"Don't know," the Doctor replied again, but he input the coordinates into the TARDIS and looked at the results, frowning at the screen for a moment before smiling widely at Rose. "Fancy a shake?"

* * *

They were sitting in a quiet American diner. Rose was contently sipping the large chocolate shake in front of her through the given straw while the Doctor patted his pockets, eventually reaching into them so deep his elbow was no longer visible, and while Rose found the bigger-on-the-inside pockets rather funny, the few patrons in the diner were giving him strange looks.

"What are you looking for?" She asked the frustrated Doctor.

"My fizzy straw." He replied with a small pout.

Rose took another sip of the shake. "You could have just said so. Galley, three rows over from the left, second drawer down." She told him with a small smile.

He slipped out of his seat and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "Thanks, dear." He said before disappearing into back room where the TARDIS was parked.

Rose shook her head as she watched him go, a small smile on her lips.

The door to the dinner opened and suddenly familiar voices made their way over to Rose. "…got three, I got 2, Mr. Delaware was 4." That was River Song, without a doubt. Rose stayed still in her seat, her posture stiffening. Her eyes went to the torn blue envelope with the number one typed on in white that was on the edge of the table.

"So?" That was Rory's voice, and Rose's eyebrows shot up. What were they doing in Utah?

"Where's one?" River again.

"What, you think he invited someone else?" Rory asked her. Who was 'he'? Who had invited them? Rose's eyes lifted towards where the TARDIS was hidden, waiting for the Doctor to reemerge so he could deal with whatever was going on.

"He's dead." That was Amy's voice. Rose felt a chill go down her spine. Who was dead? What the hell was going on?

"But he still needs us," River was saying, none of them having noticed Rose yet, though they were all within her line of sight. "I know, Amy, I know. But right now, we have to focus."

"Look," Ah, Rory had noticed the torn envelope then, and his eyes jumped up to meet Rose's, who was casually leaning against the wall, sitting sideways in her chair, watching the three of them talk, and sipping her milkshake. He looked shocked to see her, and she simply raised her eyebrows in confusion, looking at Rory, River, and Amy in turn.

River ran over and picked up the envelope. "Is this yours?" she demanded, severe eyes meeting Rose's.

Rose put down her milkshake and looked at River curiously. "Yeah. What's going on?"

As she spoke, the Doctor emerged from the backroom, fizzy straw hanging from his mouth, looking distinctly pleased with himself. He stopped short when he saw Rory, Amy, and River all standing in the dinner, looking at him with hanging jaws. He looked over at Rose for some form of explanation, but she supposed her confused and clueless face would be enough to convince him that she had no idea what was going on. He smiled cheerfully at his companions.

"This is cold," River murmured, her voice low and hurt. "Even by your standards, this is cold." She looked at him for a moment before turning her angry gaze on Rose, who recoiled in surprise. "Did you know?"

"Know what?" Rose asked, feeling left out and very much not liking it.

"Or 'hello', as people used to say," the Doctor replied cheerily. "Just popped out to get my special straw. It adds more fizz."

Amy advanced on him then, shock still written across her face. She walked a circle around the Doctor, who looked very confused and kept shooting questioning glances to Rose, as though she thought he might not be real. "You're okay," Amy breathed. "How can you be okay?"

The Doctor hugged Amy, muttering reassurances, and then hugged Rory, and then seemed to half want to hug River, but she slapped him, hard, and he stepped away from her, holding his cheek. Rose watched from her seat, still sipping her milkshake.

"I don't understand," Rory said. "How can you be here?" He poked the Doctor in the chest.

"We were invited," Rose piped up from her seat. All eyes turned to her. She pointed to the invitation in River's had, which was addressed to her and the Doctor. "Date, time, map reference…same as you lot, I'm guessin'."

"How old are you?" River suddenly demanded, turning to the Doctor.

"Nine hundred and nine," the Doctor replied with a confused look. Rose could see tension building in his shoulders, knowing that he was very slowing getting frustrated and angry at the current situation.

"I don't understand." Amy breathed.

"Yeah, you do." Rory told her.

" _I_ don't." the Doctor said dangerously. "What are we all doing here?"

Rory, River, and Amy all shared a look. "We've been recruited." River finally said, making the Doctor and Rose raise their eyebrows suspiciously.

* * *

Rose and the Doctor piloted the ship while Rory, River, and Amy were under the console, whispering away. The two exchanged confused glances – something was obviously going on. Their friends were afraid, very afraid, and they weren't telling the Doctor or Rose what of. The Doctor inputted the variables that had been given to them by River while Rose slowly made her way around the console, flipping switched and pressing buttons the TARDIS pointed to in her mind to help the ship maintain her position in the Vortex and not go to the coordinates that resulted from the Doctor's variables.

The Doctor's companions made their way up from beneath the console, not saying anything to Rose or the Doctor, who were pretending to be very busy. "Washington, D.C., April 8, 1969." Amy read from the monitor. "Why haven't we landed?"

"'Cause that's not where we're going." The Doctor said decisively, moving away from the monitor and checking up on Rose, who was doing fine with the guidance of their ship in her mind. He pressed a kiss to her temple, and Rose didn't miss that River looked away. "You, Ponds, will be going home, off to made babies, or whatever it is you do. You, River, back to the Stormcage with you, and Rose and I, we have a date. I'm thinking Paris, sweetheart. Sound good?" He wove an arm around her waist and let his hand rest at her hip.

"Brilliant," Rose replied, tongue-in-teeth as she smiled widely at him. She could feel tension rolling off him in waves, even as he looked down at her with a soft smile. She sent comfort and love through their telepathic connection, and felt his gratefulness in return.

"What?" He turned to his shocked looking companions. "A mysterious summons, and you think I'm just going to go?"

* * *

"Rose!" The Doctor shouted from his position – on the floor of the oval office, in the Whitehouse, being restrained by several members of the secret service, "Rose, make her blue again!"

Rose flicked a couple switches on the console and removed the TARDIS's cloaking device, and then made her way to the TARDIS doors, stepping out quietly. The door latched behind her and Rose leaned against it, a cocky grin on her lips as she looked down at her Time Lord. "Hello, love," she said, amusement lacing her tone as the men stepped away from him and he jumped up, dusting off and straightening his jacket. "Did you miss me?" She smirked.

"Thanks, dear." The Doctor grinned at her and kissed her cheek.

"Who is that?" One of the men demanded, training their guns on her. She raised a single eyebrow, looking at them all in turn, a threatening grin pulling at her lips, as if to say  _you don't even want to try_.

"Doesn't matter," the Doctor said, shooting her a glance at her answering snort, "sorry, dear. But as for you, Mister President, it's your lucky day, because I'll take the case. So long as you stop pointing your guns at my partner."

Rose felt the door of the TARDIS unlatch and moved away from the door just as River burst through, "They're Americans!" the woman shouted before sticking her hands up non-threateningly as all guns turned to her. Rose rolled her eyes, annoyed with all the guns.

* * *

Rose was running.

In the distance, she could hear the Americans chasing her, hear their exhaustion as they started to breathe heavily.

They'd been chasing for about 4 hours – about the time it would take to run the average marathon – through a densely wooded portion of California. The thick trees meant they couldn't drive their large vehicles, and she knew that they were probably really wishing they were.

Rose was a Torchwood trained agent who was over two hundred years old. She'd spent years training her body. A few hours of running, while she knew she would be exhausted later, was nothing while she was still running on adrenaline.

The plan, however, was to get caught, so Rose begrudgingly slowed down so they could catch up to her, holding her hands up in surrender and sneering at them as the huffed and puffed to catch their breaths. She was annoyed that the Doctor had not allowed her to use her vortex manipulator – the landing space was too small and the manipulator was too unreliable, he'd told her sternly. She knew he was right, even now, she just didn't look forward to what would follow instead.

The stun gun hit her right in the chest. She fell heavily to the ground and felt herself get stuffed in the very, very uncomfortable body bag.

* * *

She was woken from her light sleep by loud jangling – chains being dropped to the floor.

Ah.

She could get out now.

She managed to tear open the body bag with a quick motion, and, like Amy and Rory, she took big gulps of fresh air, thankful to be done with the stale air in the body bag. Hands took hers and helped her up, and she stood, shaking and stretching, eyes meeting with the Doctor's for the first time in months. He grinned widely at her, giving her a quick peck, before running to make sure Rory and Amy were okay. The four of them stretched for the first time in months, glad to be moving once again, before they all slipped into the TARDIS.

* * *

"You have given the planet for your own execution. And the whole planet just heard you. You just raised an army against yourself, and now, for a thousand generations, you're going to be ordering them to destroy you every day. How fast can you run? Because today's the day the human race throw you off their planet. They won't even know they're doing it. I think, quite possibly, the word you're looking for right now is 'oops'."

Rose, who had grabbed the sonic screwdriver from the Doctor before they'd stepped out of the TARDIS, ran to join Rory, where he was desperately struggling with Amy's restraints. She quickly pointed them in the directed of the TARDIS and shoved, giving them a head start and watching them until she was certain that they were safe. She tossed the screwdriver back to the Doctor before following them in, despite his cries for her to grab a weapon and join himself and River as they shot the Silence.

Rose was not in the console room when the Doctor finally entered, but he tried not to focus too much on that and focused instead on getting them out of the Silence's ship. She didn't come out when he went to say goodbye to president Nixon, nor when he dropped off River at the Stormcage.

She did come out, momentarily, to give goodbye hugs and see-you-soons to Amy and Rory when the Doctor dropped them off, disappearing back into the TARDIS quickly and giving him some alone time with his friends.

When he returned to the TARDIS, he found the console room empty, and had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He did his dance around the console and quickly sent them into the Time Vortex before turning to walk down the corridor in the hopes that the TARDIS would lead him to Rose. He felt anger burn in his mind at her disappearance and at her refusal to help him and River.

After a fair bit of wandering, he found her in her old bedroom, sitting on her unmade bed, eyes glazed over. He tentatively knocked and entered the room, standing near the doorway uncertainly. He didn't think Rose had even been in here since the night of Amy and Rory's wedding, preferring instead to use his bed whether he was there or not. He felt panic start to build in his chest at the thought of her returning to her old bedroom, although he wasn't quite certain why.

No, actually, that was a lie.

He absolutely knew why.

But he pushed the thought away and returned to his anger. He crossed his arms over his chest, his anger visible on his face. She seemed to barely be aware of his presence, not meeting his eyes or even looking at him.

"You left us there." He growled. "You left us in that spaceship, you left us alone against all of them." Anger radiated from him, and he was certain that Rose could feel it regardless of the fact that they weren't touching.

Rose's eyes snapped to meet his, and he was shocked at the expression on her face. He'd assumed she run because she was afraid, because there were too many of the aliens and she'd wanted to make sure Amy and Rory were safe, and then stayed hidden because she was embarrassed.

He should have known that Rose Tyler did not hide from the things that scared her.

Because the expression on her face was not apologetic or fearful.

It was anger and shock, and the Doctor realized that she was looking at him like she didn't know him at all.

"That was genocide." She whispered, her lips pulling back into a snarl and her eyes flashing gold.

"What?"

"You heard what I said." She snapped. She stood from her position on the bed and came to stand in front of him, her posture squared and anger in her eyes as she met his gaze. "You just had them…" she trailed off. She wanted to speak the truth but she didn't want to hurt him. She took a step away from him and a deep breath.

He advanced on her this time, "I had them what?" He asked her, eyes boring into hers with an intensity that made her hate herself for her next word.

"Exterminated." She whispered, looking away from him. She moved away, returning to her position on the bed, though this time her head rested heavily in her hands, elbows on her knees.

_I want to see you become like me. Hail the Doctor, the Great Exterminator!_

"It was necessary." He spat through gritted teeth.

"It most certainly was  _not_." She snapped angrily, advancing on him.

"They had already invaded, Rose!"

"I distinctly remember being dropped off on a parallel earth with a  _copy_  of you because he did exactly what you just did – he killed an entire  _race_! Except he killed hundreds of thousands of  _Daleks_ , who we've known for centuries and have never,  _ever_  done anything good, while  _you killed an entire race that we didn't even know_." She was shouting now, her vision blurring from angry tears. "And then what happened? He gets chucked out of the universe because of what he did, and you flirt with the woman who helped you commit murder and act like it was nothing."

"So what?" He seethed. "They kidnapped a little girl, shoved her in a spacesuit, made her do who-knows-what, then they kidnapped my best friend to do who-knows-what  _again_ , and they force us to forget them, again, for  _who-knows-why!"_

She took a short breath and shook her head slightly, and the disgust in her eyes made his soul ache. She had never looked at him that way before. "There's a lot of 'who-knows-what' there, Doctor. You didn't even listen to see what they were doing,  _why_  they were doing it!"

"I'm just supposed to give them a chance?" He bit out.

"Your past selves would have." She whispered.

He slammed the door on the way out of her room.

* * *

She slept in her own bed for three nights.

He refused to make skin contact with her for three days, fearing what he would see or feel.

Whenever he closed his eyes he saw the disgust that had been written all over her face, disgust with  _him_  for what he'd done.

He woke up from his kip in the library to the sound of the TARDIS engines. She was moving. She was  _landing_. And he was very much not driving. He jumped from the couch gracelessly, a book tumbling to the ground from where it had been resting on his chest, and took off running, quickly making his way to the console room.

He found it empty, as he had every time he'd entered it for the past 3 days, and the door not latched shut. His hearts pounded in his chest as he considered where Rose would have taken them. He walked to the door and opened it slowly.

He was immediately hit with a blast of cold air, making him blink in surprise. When he stepped out of the TARDIS, he shoe sank in snow before connecting with solid ice. He looked up to see the enormous waves, frozen in place, some mid-crest.

Standing a few feet away from him, he could see Rose's back. She was wearing a warm purple coat that he didn't recognize and he assumed she'd found it in the wardrobe. He walked forward hesitantly until he was standing next to her.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sneaked a peak at her. Her nose and cheeks were flushed from the cold, but he could see tear stains along those cheeks that sent a wave of self-hate rushing through him. Her lips were pressed together and her eyes were red, and the Doctor hated himself because he knew that it was his fault that she'd be crying.

The stood in silence for several minutes, taking in the scene before them, the large, glittering waves and the soft snow. He recalled his last visit here, also with her, and he remembered teasing her as she ran along the ice, slipping and sliding, and laughing so hard that he'd had to laugh with her. It felt like a lifetime ago.

In reality, it was two lifetimes ago.

Back when he was all big ears and leather.

_I want to see you become like me. Hail the Doctor, the Great Exterminator!_

The words of the emperor Dalek had been stuck in his mind for the past three days. He refused to think of what it meant for him now, if he'd been called that back in his ninth form, back he couldn't even use the delta wave on the Daleks because it would endanger the humans on earth.

It was Rose, always the braver of the two, who broke the extended silence. "This planet…it's been through a lot." She started hesitantly, her breath creating small clouds as she spoke. "Frozen over in the Time War when its sun went out. Didn't stop it from being gorgeous though," she continued with a small smile. "Did you know that without the Time War, without the sun being blown out, it would have expanded about one year before we visited, and Woman Wept would have been swallowed whole?" She asked him, still not looking at him. "It wouldn't have lasted long if your choice hadn't preserved it."

"How do you know?" He asked her quietly, longing to take her hand but not knowing if he should.

"I saw all that was, all that is, and all that ever could be." She told him simply. "Once my mind had adapted to the parts of the Vortex that stayed in my head, and the Bad Wolf could protect it, I remembered some things. One of the things I saw when I saw everything was this planet." She looked at him for the first time, though he continued to stoically look ahead. She sighed heavily. "We never would have seen it if it wasn't for the Time War."

He couldn't respond to that.

"And then it was taken by the Daleks, pulled out of sync with the rest of the universe into the Medusa Cascade. Pulled across the universe so that it could be used as part of a weapon." Rose continued, her eyes back on the crystalline waves. "And when you saved the day," she nudged him with her shoulder, touching him for the first time in days, "it was sent back to its right place to survive for another few millennia.

"I never thought I'd relate to a planet. But I suppose this is a beautiful one to relate to." She said with a small smile. He frowned at that, but bit his tongue.

"Without the war," she began quietly, "you never would have been the man I first knew. And blimey, Doctor, I loved you so much. But without the war, the Nestene Consciousness never would have lost their planet. You never would have blown up my job," another shoulder nudge, and this time the Doctor smiled slightly, "and I never would have met you."

"Rose, I'm sure – "

"No," she didn't even let him finish the sentence. "No. If the Nestenes hadn't tried to invade, I never would have met you. I would have been swallowed whole by my boring life – wake up, go to work, eat chips, and go to bed – and that would have been that. Done. Simple. But they do, and we meet." She sighed. "And then the Daleks came back, and I was dragged across the universes as Torchwood's final weapon – their last hope: to find you. And then you saved the day, and I was sent back to where I came from. More or less." She finished drily.

"That's not where your story ended." The Doctor said softly.

"No," she chuckled. "I like to hope that I have a bit more free thought than a frozen planet." They finally met eyes for the first time in three days, small smiles on both their lips, green eyes meeting hazel. She looked away from him to survey the frozen landscape. "I love this planet, Doctor. I love everything about it, except that it hurts you to see it, because you feel responsible for how it turned out." His eyes, which had drifted away from her to look at the frozen waves, snapped back to hers. "And that's just another similarity between me and this planet, Doctor. I'm afraid that when you look at me, all you see is where you think you failed me." Hesitantly, she reached out, offering her hand, and he took it in his, using it to pull her closer to him. "I'm sorry for what I said. I really am, I promise. But I can't stay with you if you're keeping me around because you're trying to make up for what you think are your failures. You look at me and you see the ship girl who could have had an ordinary life, but then became a soldier. You think it's the worst possible turn out. It's not. There were worse things that could have happened to me. And I've grown up. You can't expect to just go allow with everything you say like I did when I was nineteen. I'm entitled to make my own decisions, decisions that have nothing to do with whether or not you failed me. Does that make sense?"

He pursed his lips. "Not really." He replied with a small smile. "And I thought I was bad with analogies." He continued, smiling affectionately at her, and she let out a small chuckle, wiping at teary eyes and smiling back. "But I got what you mean." He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and ran his fingertips along her jaw. "You grew up, Rose Tyler."

"I love you, Doctor. And I want to be with you, I want to travel with you, I want to run with you, I want to  _love_  you. But only if you want  _me_." Rose whispered, leaning in so close that she could hear his double heartbeat.

"Rose Tyler," he said her name again, leaning in as well, "I will  _always_  want you." He hesitantly pressed his lips to hers, unsure, for the first time, weather or not she would return his kiss. Thankfully, she did, and his slipped his arms around her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck. When they broke apart several seconds later, he leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you."

The corners of her mouth pulled upwards. "Quite right, too."

He pulled back and laughed long and hard. When he was finished he was wiping tears from his eyes. "I deserved that." He chuckled.

"Yes," Rose smiled, "You did." She took his hands and squeezed gently.

* * *

"Oh! We've gone medieval," Amy murmured as they stepped out of the TARDIS.

"I'm not sure about that," Rory disagreed.

"Really?" Amy asked sarcastically. "Medieval expert, are you?"

"No, it's just that I can hear Dusty Springfield." Rory said with a shrug.

"So, cockerel, monastery, and pipe that's transporting something corrosive," Rose nodded. "Yeah, this is normal."

"And Dusty Springfield," Rory added, and Rose flashed him a grin, which he returned.

"They're pumping something nasty off this island to the mainland," The Doctor said absentmindedly, tucking his screwdriver into his coat pocket.

"My mum's a massive fan of Dusty Springfield," Rory admitted as the Doctor and Amy took of running.

"So's the Doctor," Rose grinned at him, earning a surprised look and a chuckled.

"Oi!" The Doctor shouted, his voice echoing. Rose and Rory exchanged smirks before running off after the other two.

"So where are these Dusty Springfield-loving monks, then?" Amy asked as they entered the monastery.

The Doctor waved his sonic around, forcing Rose to duck several times when she caught up to him. "We're here." He looked at her seriously. "This is it." Rose bit her lip nervously and looked around.

"Doctor, what are you talking about?" Rory demanded. "We've never been here before."

"We came here by accident," Amy chimed in with a nod.

The Doctor stopped immediately, whirling around to face his companions while Rose jumped up the stairs that were in front of them. "Accident?" He demanded, sounding terribly insulted. Rose took his hand in hers and sent waves of warning his way, reminding him that Rory and Amy didn't know that they were most certainly not here by accident. "Yes…I know…accident." He caught himself. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Ah! Ow!" Rory's shouting distracted everyone from the Doctor's terrible lying.

"Acid, they're pumping acid off the island. That's old stuff. Fresh acid and you wouldn't have a finger." The Doctor rambled. He tossed his screwdriver around, flipping it and toying with it, and looked scandalized when Rose caught it from one of his tosses. She shot him a scathing look, set it to a painkiller mode, and pointed it to Rory's finger, turning it on for a few seconds before clicking it off and tossing it back to the Doctor.

_INTRUDER ALERT. INTRUDER ALERT._

"There are people coming. Well, almost." The Doctor said quickly.

"Almost coming?" Amy asked, looking confused.

"Almost people," the Doctor corrected quickly with a wide smile.

They ran through the monastery, the Doctor at the lead. Rose wasn't sure where he was going, but she knew better than to question him when he ran.

Most of the time, anyway.

"Don't move!" Several people came running through the door into the room they were standing in, weapons at the ready. Rose felt her lip pull back into a snarl at the threat, and the Doctor put his hand on her shoulder, sending her waves of calm and reassurance.

"Who the hell are you?" One young woman asked.

"I'm the Doctor, this is Rose, and that's Amy and Rory," The Doctor said quickly. "It's all very nice, isn't it?"

"Hold up!" Amy said, looking around the room carefully and the people that seemed to be sleeping in the harnesses. "You're all…what are you all, like, identical twins?" She asked, confused.

Before anyone could respond, a voice coming from behind them made them jump. "This is an alpha-grade industrial facility." It said coolly, and Rose felt an instant dislike for the woman behind the voice. "Unless you work for the military or for Morpeth Jetsan, you are in big trouble."

They were scanned for bugs, and Rose grinned wolfishly at the one scanning them – Dickens, or something – feeling a slight guilty pleasure when she saw fear in his eyes. "Be nice," The Doctor warned her, though she could hear amusement in his tone.

Once they'd been sufficiently scanned, the Doctor asked the one in charge to see critical systems, and Rose watched the emotion drain from the woman's face.

They were led into a very industrial looking room that made Rose feel suffocated and trapped, and the wolf in her growled in her mind, severely disliking the situation. Her eyes glowed gold for several moments, and she was grateful that she'd brought up the back, because it meant no one saw her. She blinked a few times, and her eyes returned to normal.

She watched with trepidation as the Doctor moved to what looked like a large bowl in the center of the room, feeling her muscles tense protectively and her stomach churn with discomfort. She had encountered the flesh before, in the parallel world. She suddenly felt like she could see the future.

_Four Torchwood members moved quickly, slipping into an operating room with disturbingly white walls and a bleach sort of smell to it. The walls almost seem to glow, and it felt like they were living in a dream. Or more accurately, a nightmare. Each had their guns at the ready, trained on the door, and their eyes were wide with fear._

" _How are we supposed to fight them?" Dean growled from his spot in the large, medically clean room they'd managed to hide in. "It's like fighting super humans! They don't feel pain!"_

" _Of course they do!" Rose snapped angrily. "That's the reason we're in this mess in the first place!"_

"Rose?" The Doctor's voice brought her from her reverie. The contractors were still talking to Amy and Rory, but the Doctor had come to her side, and was leaning in close, looking at her with a concerned frown on his face. "Are you alright?"

"I've seen this before," she whispered to him, meeting his eyes fearfully. She grabbed his hand and held it desperately, sending him flashes of her memories, of the gangers being used in medical experiments, of them rebelling, of the long battle that had ensued because they just kept creating more and more gangers.

The Doctor cupped her cheek protectively and kissed her forehead. "We'll sort this out. I promise."

"Did you scan it?" She asked him, pressing her own hand against his and leaning into him.

"I think…" he stopped for a moment. "I think it scanned me."

Rose felt a shiver run down her spine.

* * *

"The wave's disturbing earth's magnetic field," the Doctor explained loudly, almost shouting to be heard over the alarm that was blaring through the whole monastery, as they entered the monitoring station. The building seemed to shake and Rose had trouble steadying herself, though the Doctor seemed entirely too comfortable as he bounced around the room, looking at each of the sparking monitors. "There is going to be the mother and father of all power surges. You see this weather vane, the cock-a-doodle-do?" Rose rolled her eyes at his vocabulary. "It's a solar router, feeing the whole factory with solar power. When that wave hits…kaboom." He looked quickly at Amy and Rory, who were watching him with wide eyes. "I've got to get to that cockerel before all hell breaks loose," he said as he ran back out the way he came, stopping only at the entrance of the tunnel to laugh and say, "I never thought I'd have to say that again." He chuckled for a moment before pointing to Amy. "Breathe." He told her quickly, before turning and running off again. Rose took off after him, hoping the other two would follow.

She shouted at the Doctor when he climbed the ladder to get to the weathervane, eyes widening in fright when he was electrocuted and fell to the ground with a hard thump. She ran to his side quickly, kneeling beside him and taking his face in his hands for make sure he was all right. He seemed to have been knocked out, and she sent a loud  _wake up_  to his mind.

His eyes shot open and he sat up quickly, taking in his surroundings as though he'd forgotten where he was. He stood quickly, spinning on the spot, before his gaze landed on Rose. "Where are Amy and Rory?" He asked her. She looked around at the roof and noticed for the first time that they were alone. She turned her frightened eyes back to him. He cupped the back of her head in his hand and brought her close, kissing the top of her head and murmuring, "we'll find them," and then taking off running, Rose scrambling to follow.

* * *

They found Amy and Rory in the chamber with the harnesses, helping their friends out of them. "Doctor!" Amy cried in relief when he and Rose finally came through the arch. "Look, these are all real people. So where are their gangers?"

"Don't worry, when the link shuts down, the gangers return to pure flesh," Cleaves, the woman Rose disliked strongly, supplied somewhat breathlessly. "Now, the storm's left us with acid leaks all over, so we need to contact the mainland. They can have a rescue shuttle out here in no time."

"Anyone hear that?" Rose cut in, jumping in just after Cleaves had finished talking. Rose eyed the woman suspiciously, frowning as she looked at her. There was something off about Cleaves, and Rose couldn't quite…

Ah.

"Hear what?" Amy asked.

Rose started to hum along to the Dusty Springfield record that was suddenly playing, for all intents and purposes pleasantly singing along but in reality also keeping an eye on everyone in the room. Blood drained from Amy's face and the Doctor walked in a slow circle, taking in everyone and everything.

"That's my record," Jimmy said slowly, "Who's playing my record?"

"The gangers," The Doctor and Rose replied simultaneously. "They've gone walkabout." The Doctor finished, an ominous note to his voice.

"No, it's impossible," Cleaves argued stubbornly, earning an eye roll from Rose, who was still humming along to the Springfield record. "They're not active."

They made their way to here the room where the contractors kept their belongings, which had been torn apart, clothes and belongings strewn about. "It would seem the storm has animated your gangers," the Doctor said.

"You've poured your personalities, your quirks, your memories, your traits, your secrets into them," Rose said quietly, accusingly glaring at anyone who turned to look at her. "You  _gave_ them your lives. They didn't steal anything."

Rose said nothing as the Doctor continued to explain the situation to the Jimmy, Buzzer and Cleaves, ambling around the room and taking everything in. She felt disgust for these contractors in her throat, and had to force herself to remember that these people hadn't encountered the flesh like she had.

" _Tom!" Beth screamed as Tom fell down, eyes glazing over, a bullet wound in his chest. She whirled on Rose, tears staining her cheeks, and glared at the Torchwood operative accusingly. "Why are they doing this?"_

" _From what I was told," Rose snapped, her voice dangerously low, "You were the ones conducting your tests on them. Can you blame them? They've been test subjects all their lives, and now they have an opportunity for a human life, a real life, one where they're not being used as a pincushion." Her eyes glittered dangerously at the other woman, who could only hold her gaze for a few minutes before dropping it._

" _Are you saying you're on their side, Captain?" Adric, another Torchwood agent on this mission, asked her airily._

_Rose cocked her gun loudly. "Oh, for God's sake," she hissed, annoyed. "I'm not on their side, you bloody idiot. But I know where they're coming from."_

Rose was pulled from her reverie by Cleaves shouting at the Doctor. "Has she finally realized she's a ganger?" She asked the Doctor airily, not looking at either one of them as she continued her walk about the room, still talking in her surroundings.

"How...?" Amy whispered, looking at Rose in confusion. Rose simply shrugged nonchalantly.

The ganger Cleaves ran off, shouting, and Rose hissed in annoyance, pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. And then, quite suddenly, they were looking for Rory. Rose followed the Doctor at a run, keeping him in her sights at all times, knowing that this was him and he would inevitably do something dangerous.

And he did. Leaving Amy alone to fetch while he went to fetch the TARDIS and her husband was missing.

"Oh, for God's sake." Rose signed, annoyed, as she chased after Amy. Acid was steaming from the walls and they were running about without acid suits. This would not end well.

"You didn't have to come with me," Amy bit out, sounding irritated, as Rose followed her through the halls.

"Are you joking?" Rose laughed sarcastically.

They walked for what seemed like hours through dark, damp, smelly tunnels, and Rose wrinkled her nose. She knew plenty well that this was most certainly  _not_  the best way to find Rory, but Amy would not be convinced to go back to the wait with the others and Rose was not about to leave her on her own.

Suddenly, Amy gasped and jumped, recoiling from a wall. Rose curiously peeked over Amy's shoulder to see what had frightened her, but saw only empty wall. She looked at Amy curiously. "You all right?" She asked, concern coming through her voice.

"Did you see her?" Amy whispered.

Rose raised her eyebrows, looking from Amy to the wall. "See who?" She was fully aware that something was off with Amy. She'd sensed it, though not as quickly as she would have liked, and not as quickly as the Doctor, but eventually, as advanced as the flesh technology had become, Rose had started to sense the  _wrong_ -ness that accompanied gangers. She was surprised that Rory hadn't sensed anything off against his wife, but then again, he'd never encountered the flesh before.

"Amy!" Rory's voice made both of them jump, and Rose and Amy whirled around to see Rory.

"You're okay," Amy breathed, eyes wide. She seemed to want to go hug her husband, but held back at the sight of him with Jennifer's ganger.

"She needs protecting." Rory said quietly but adamantly.

"Jen?" Buzzer called from the end of the corridor, himself and Dicken barely discernable behind their flashlights.

"No, it's a ganger," Amy said quickly, stopping them in their tracks. "Rory, listen…"

"No, you listen," Rory interrupted. "Nobody touches her!"

Rose felt admiration for Rory – very few people could accept gangers for what they were, and he seemed determine to protect both humans and gangers, but she knew, at this point, that he would never get his wish. They were too far-gone. The gangers and the humans couldn't live in peace while they feared each other this much. She said nothing, simply choosing to grab Amy's wrist and make sure she didn't try to attack the ganger that was desperately hanging onto Rory's wrist.

Everyone stared in silence for several minutes, no one wanting to approach anyone else, until Rose sighed. "Come on," she said, walking back down the length of the tunnel towards Buzzer and Dicken.

"Where are you going?" Rory called out after her.

"Dining hall," Rose replied. At the absence of footsteps behind her, she let out an annoyed sigh. "Let's go, people."

Rose stood behind Jennifer's ganger, arms crossed, while the humans interrogated her. She waited patiently –

"Until the Doctor gets here." The Doctor's voice rang out around the room as he entered, followed by a line of gangers. He advanced quickly and put his torch on the table before moving to Rose and pressing a quick but tender kiss to her forehead. "Hello, sweetheart." He said cheerfully.

"Hello, love," Rose replied with a smile, relieved to see he seemed to have semi-convinced the gangers that working together might be possible. She looked down at his feet and frowned. "Where are your shoes?"

* * *

"I'm not going to lie, it's a right odd mess, this." The Doctor said, standing from his seat.

"That's the understatement of the century," Rose snorted, earning herself a reproachful glare from the Doctor.

As Jimmy and ganger Jimmy seemed to reach an agreement, Cleaves made her way into the room. "This circus has gone on long enough," she declared angrily.

"Oh great," The ganger Cleaves muttered. "You see, that is just so typically me." Rose bit back a laugh, poorly disguising it as a cough. The ganger Cleaves looked at her with a tentative smile, and Rose decided she liked the ganger much more than the original woman.

"Doctor, tell it to shut up." Cleaves said bitterly, not looking at her ganger self. She was holding what looked like some sort of weapon, and Rose felt her lips pull back in a snarl. "Circuit probe," Cleaves continued triumphantly, "fires about 40,000 volts. It would kill any one of us, so I guess she'll work on gangers just the same."

Rose and Rory both stepped in front of the gangers on instinct, him holding his arms out defensively and her standing with her back straight, her shoulders squared, and the Time Vortex starting to glow in her eyes as a warning. She felt the ganger Cleaves step back, feeling the power that was enveloping Rose.

"It's interesting…you refer to them as 'it', but you call a glorified cattle prod a she." The Doctor said, sounding genuinely confused and mildly disgusted.

Ganger Buzzer ran forward, and Cleaves shot him. Rose stepped towards her, danger written across her face, and Cleaves turned the weapon on her. "Are you going to shoot the humans, too, Cleaves?" Rose snarled. "It's so important to you that the gangers get killed that you'll take anyone else down to make it happen?"

"Rose, stop it," The Doctor warned her quietly, and at the panicked undertone she could hear in his voice, she did.

"What happened to Buzz will happen to us all if we trust you," Ganger Jen realized, backing away from Rory and her face starting to destabilize. As Rory attacked Cleaves, taking apart her weapon, the gangers ran off.

"Look at what you've done, Cleaves." The Doctor said quietly.

"If it's war, then it's war," Cleaves spat out. "You don't get it, Doctor."

"No," Rose said quietly, but all eyes turned to her. She advanced until she was nose to nose with Cleaves. "You don't talk about war like you know. You haven't been through war; you haven't seen your friends and comrades drop like flies. You haven't felt desperation so hopeless that you don't even know who you are anymore." Rose stepped forward and Cleaves shrank back, though she continued to glare angrily. "You don't know  _anything_  about war. And yet you willingly declare it. On yourself, least of all."

"Rose," The Doctor said quietly. When she turned to face him, he offered his hand. She turned to give a final glare to Cleaves before marching back to the Doctor, taking his hand and feeling him squeeze hers reassuringly, sending waves of calm and affection through the telepathic connection, as well as curiosity that managed to sneak through.

"The most fortified and defendable room in the monastery?" The Doctor asked, repeating the question more intently when no one answered.

"The chapel." Cleaves replied.

"Thank you." The Doctor said drily. "You've crossed one hell of a line, Cleaves. They're coming back in a big way." He continued, so quietly he was almost talking to himself. Rose met his worried gaze from where she stood, about two feet away, looking at Rory and Amy rather than at the contractors. She offered her hand. He took it. She leaned in close and kissed his cheek, and he looked at her gratefully. She nodded, and they were off.

To the chapel.

Rory took off to help Jen, and the Doctor yanked Amy into the chapel. "They are not after him, they are after us!" He told her.

"Why?" A garbled voice cried. Rose's eyes widened and she whirled around, desperate to locate the source of the sound.

"Show yourself!" The Doctor ordered, his eyes wide and fearful.

The contractors reinforced the door as best they could. "This is insane," Jimmy chuckled. "We're fighting ourselves."

"Yes, it's insane." The Doctor agreed. "And it's about to get even more insanerer." He turned to Rose. "Is that a word?" She shook her head and he shrugged. "Show yourself!" He demanded again. "Right now!"

"Doctor! We are trapped in here and Rory is out there with them," Amy said angrily, getting in his face. "Hello! We can't get to the TARDIS, and we can't even leave the island."

"Correct in every respect, Pond." The Doctor's voice said, but the Doctor's lips hadn't moved. Rose felt a shiver run down her spine. "It's frightening, unexpected, frankly, a total, utter, splattering mess on the carpet. But I am certain, one hundred percent certain, that we can work this out. Trust me," the man behind the voice stepped out from the shadows, revealing a destabilized ganger Doctor. "I'm the Doctor." He said confidently.

"Your ganger would have a gob," Rose muttered, arms crossed over her chest and rolling her eyes.

"Doctor, we need you, get over here." Amy demanded.

"Hello!" The ganger Doctor said suddenly.

"Doctor," Amy repeated, affronted that the Doctor was only semi paying attention to her.

"Cybermats," The Doctor said, almost absentmindedly.

"Do we have time for this?" The ganger Doctor replied.

"We make time," The Doctor said quickly. "I'd like more proof that you're me. Cybermats."

"Created by the Cybermen. They kill by feeing off brainwaves." The ganger replied easily, talking exactly as the Doctor would. Rose watched the exchange with amusement, her eyes switching between the two.

The door started to shake, and everyone grabbed whatever was nearest to them that could be used as a weapon except for the two Doctors and Rose, who was eyeing them curiously. The ganger Doctor, who seemed to have semi-stabilized, raised a single eyebrow at her, making her smirk.

"Rory and Amy, they may not trust both of us," the Doctor whispered, so that Amy and the contactors wouldn't hear. Rose's eyebrows shot up.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" The ganger whispered back.

"Inevitably."

"I'm glad we're on the same –"

"Wavelength. See, Rose? Great minds." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh sure, your second self meets your third self, you first self has to come split the pair of you up, but your eleventh self meets your eleventh self? No problem. Get along like two peas in a pod." The Doctors exchanged a grin at the memory. "What's your plan?" Rose continued, taking another step towards them.

"We save them all, humans and gangers." The Doctor replied, looking at the two of them.

"Tall order. Sounds wonderful." The ganger said quickly.

"Is that what you were thinking?" The Doctor asked.

The ganger turned to him enthusiastically. "Yes, it's just so inspiring to hear  _me_  say it."

"For God's sake." Rose muttered, rolling her eyes again.

The Doctor chuckled quietly, "I know." He nodded, an amused look on his face.

"Doctor, come on!" Amy yelled again, and three heads snapped in her direction and then back again to meet eyes. Rose thought it was a wonder she didn't get whiplash. The contractors and Amy were all standing, weapons in hand, at the door, ready for it to come tumbling down. Rose watched, eyebrows raised and arms crossed, as the Doctors quickly switched shoes with a speed and lack of grace that only he could pull off.

"So, what now, Doctor?" The ganger said, practically bouncing on the balls of his newly-clad feet.

"Well, time to get cracking, Doctor." The Doctor replied.

* * *

"We need to contact the mainland," Cleaves said decisively as they walked down an empty tunnel, away from the chapel that the gangers had managed to enter.

"What about Rory and Jen?" Amy asked. "They're both out there."

They started to choke on the gas that was being created by the acid interacting with the stone, hacking desperately to get some air into their lungs. Cleaves led them confidently towards the evacuation tower.

The burst in and all took large gulps of fresh air.

"I thought I coughed so hard I pulled something," Amy gasped, and Rose and the two Doctors shared a worried look, unnoticed by their redheaded companion.

As the Doctor, Cleaves, and his ganger set about toying with the large computer, Rose grabbed the ganger Doctor by the arm and pulled him aside, knowing it would look like she was pulling the real Doctor to talk and that it would raise less suspicion for her to be talking to her original Doctor. She didn't miss Amy's quick glance at his shoes as she tugged the ganger out of earshot.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Rose hissed to the ganger.

"Trying to get us out," The ganger said, looking at Rose as though she'd just dribbled on her shirt.

Rose raised one eyebrow as she stared him down. "Why have you switched shoes?" She whispered, her eyes flicking down to the black shoes that had been lent to him.

"We need to know if she can tell the difference," the ganger replied, leaning in so close to Rose's ear that she could feel his breath tickle her neck. And involuntary shiver went through her. Cautiously, as though he were afraid she would reject him, he wrapped his arms around in a quick hug, and she felt his body relax when she returned it tightly. He gently kissed the top of her hair. "We'll get us out." He promised before releasing her and heading back to the computer to help the original Doctor.

As Jimmy wished his son happy birthday, quietly and quickly, Rose had no doubt that the ganger Jimmy was doing the same thing.

The Doctors were working in calm tandem, and Rose was again struck by the fact that he seemed to be getting along with himself so well. In her past experiences, and in what she'd seen as the Bad Wolf, that had never been the case.

"Can you stop finishing each other's -" Amy started to say, looking between the two Doctors who seemed to each pop up over the computer at different times. Rose was suddenly struck by the idea of a Doctor whack-a-mole and she bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

The ganger's head – Rose was certain she was the only one who could tell the difference between the two at this point, and even then, it was mostly just from a sense of  _wrongness_  that came from the ganger Doctor – popped up over the computer. "Sentences. No probs."

"Yes." The Doctor popped up as well, holding up his finger matter-of-factly. Both disappeared again.

"No, but hang on, you said the TARDIS was stuck in acid, so won't she be damaged?" Amy asked.

"Nah, she's a tough old thing," the ganger Doctor drawled. "Tough, old, sexy."

"Yeah, tough, dependable, sexy." the Doctor chimed in, unable not to compliment his ship. And both ducked down again.

"Come on, okay?" Amy said, sounded exasperated, which Rose imagined she was. "How can you both be real?"

The Doctor plopped something on the top of the computer and his head bounced above that, turning it curiously in his hands. "Well, because…we are. I'm the Doctor." He said cheerfully.

The ganger Doctor popped up quickly as the real Doctor ducked down under the computer. "Yeah, and so am I," he said quickly, raising his hand as though he were in class, "we both contain the knowledge of over nine hundred years of memory and experience, we both wear the same bowtie, which is cool."

"Because bowties are –"

"And always will be." Both ducked down. Rose was starting to get dizzy of the Doctor madness.

"But how did it read you?" Amy asked. "You weren't linked up to it."

"Must have been after I examined it." The ganger Doctor said, continuing his original-Doctor façade, to Rose's chagrin. "That's when the new, genuine Doctor was created."

"Ta-da." The Doctor chipped in cheerfully.

"No getting away from it. One of you was here first." Amy insisted.

Rose sighed. "They're both the Doctor, Amy." She said calmly.

Amy whirled on her. "But can you tell which is which?" she demanded, looking at Rose with raised eyebrows and a challenge on her face. Rose didn't answer.

"Well, okay, after the flesh scanned me, I had an accident with a puddle of acid. Now, new shoes – a situation which does not confront me learned self here." The ganger Doctor ducked back under the computer.

"That satisfy you, Pond?" The Doctor asked.

"Don't call me 'Pond', please." Amy replied drily.

Rose could see the hurt on the Doctor's expression, even if Amy couldn't. Both Doctors observed her through pinched eyebrows from over the computer. "Interesting. You definitely feel more affection for him than me," the Doctor said.

"Look, you're fine, and everything, but he's the Doctor. No offense, being almost the Doctor is pretty damn impressive."

"Being almost the Doctor is like being no Doctor at all," the Doctor said, disappointment washing over his face.

As soon as Cleaves said the gangers needed to be wiped out, the Doctors exchanged a hard look, and when Amy taunted the Doctor, not knowing he was the original and not the ganger, Rose made her way to him for the first time since they'd entered the evacuation tower. Glaring at Amy, she intertwined her fingers with the Doctor's sending waves of apology, comfort and love through the telepathic connection. His shoulders relaxed slightly and he gave her a grateful look. She gave him a small, affectionate smile.

All eyes turned to Amy when she gasped loudly, recoiling from a wall. Rose bit her lip and looked between Amy and the Doctors, feeling concern slip through the Doctor's mental shields.

"Amy?" The ganger asked from his seat at the computer. "What happened?"

Amy went to his side quickly, pulling up a chair so sit next to him. "It's her again." She said to the ganger Doctor, ignoring the other.

"It's who again?"

"There's a woman I keep seeing, a woman with an eye patch, and she has this habit of sliding walls open and staring at me." Amy told the Doctor quickly.

"It's a time memory, like a mirage." The Doctor soothed her quickly.

Rose sent a wave of curiosity through her connection with the Doctor.

_He's lying_. He replied in her mind, squeezing her hand tightly.  _There's no such thing as a time memory, but she needs to stay calm while we work and figure this out._

_Because she's the flesh?_  Rose asked, keeping her face professionally blank.

The Doctor looked at her in surprise before letting out a loud sigh.  _Yes_.

"It's in my head…" The Doctor said suddenly, dropping Rose's hand like he'd been burnt and making his way out of the room quickly. He hadn't dropped her hand quick enough, and Rose felt the pain of the gangers burn through his mind. She watched him leave with concern. And her eyebrows shot up to her hairline when Amy stormed back in, the Doctor on her heels, demanding that he be kept away from her.

"It wants revenge." He whispered.

" _It wants revenge," Rose realized, feeling as though a light bulb had just turned on in her mind and suddenly feeling very stupid because quite honestly, she should have realized._

" _What was that, Captain?" Adric asked._

" _My God, how didn't I see it?" Rose seethed, looking between Adric and Beth with wide eyes. "It doesn't just want a human life. It's been used as a pincushion for human experiments and tests, feeling every step of the way. It wants revenge."_

"Doctor," Cleaves said to the original Doctor, who was still pretending to be the ganger, "It might be best if you stayed over there for now, hmm?"

"Hang on," Rose jumped in, cutting of the actual ganger, who was now watching her with interest. "This is the real Doctor. The Doctor who has nine hundred  _years_  of knowledge, the Doctor who knows Amy," she glared at the redhead, who recoiled slightly at the sudden hostility but held her ground, "Who knows me, who loves me. This is the Doctor."

"Rose, it's fine." The Doctor backed off, shooting a look at his ganger self and then back at Amy. He sighed audibly and offered his hand to Rose, who took it without question. "Look at this nice barrel, it's very comfy. Sit with me."

"Rose," Cleaves started to say, to stop her, but Rose shot her a deathly glare, gold glowing in her eyes, and Cleaves recoiled, eyes wide. Rose followed the Doctor and gingerly sat on his lap. He comfortably wrapped his arms around her waist and held her there.

When they found Rory and Jen on the camera, the ganger Doctor tossed the original Doctor his screwdriver, and the Doctor tucked it casually into his pocket. Rose stepped off his lap and went to follow when he made his way out with Buzzer, but he stopped her but putting his palm on her shoulder. "Stay here." He whispered to her. She looked between the ganger Doctor and him for a moment before sighing and nodded, sitting back down on the barrel he'd been on and glaring at everyone in the room.

It wasn't long before the room started to shake as the acid beneath their feet started to boil, and they quickly left the evacuation tower. They made it to the thermostatic room, where the ganger Doctor quickly discovered he wouldn't be able to stop the acid from heating, nor the island from exploding.

They found Rory, and while Rose was currently feeling no warm affections towards Amy, she was relieved to see that he was alright. He led them down into the crypts that had been found by Jen, and Rose felt distrust start to boil in her stomach. She knew that the Doctor felt it too, because he hesitated even longer than she did before following the group.

And when they were locked in the acid, Rose knew that she'd been right, but certainly did not feel it was time to gloat.

As Jimmy desperately tried to hold a lid over the avid, steam reached up and sprayed him. He screamed as the corrosive heat ate away at his skin. At the same time, the door to the acid room burst open and in came ganger Jimmy, racing his way over to where the human Jimmy had been carefully laid on the ground.

"Be a dad. You remember how."

* * *

They left the acid room and were joined by the rest of the gangers, except for Jen, who had become some sort of monster-alien weird thing. They ran through the tunnels of the monastery that was certainly starting to crumble from the avid. Rose didn't know where they were going, but decided that so long as it was the Doctor that was leading the way, she had no trouble following. She screamed when Dicken saved them, sacrificing himself in the process.

They ran through the tunnels from the Jen…ganger…monster, and as the acid ate its way through the monastery, the TARDIS broke through the ceiling and landed with a hard  _thud_  right in front of the Doctor.

Everyone was sent on board as Rose and the ganger Doctor held the door closed, only the two Doctors, Amy, the ganger Cleaves, and Rose still outside the TARDIS.

"I have to stay and hold this door closed, and give you time to dematerialize." The ganger Doctor said as the Jen-monster continued to pound away at the door. Though Rose had assumed this was his plan, she felt tears well up in her eyes at the thought of leaving him behind.

Flesh or not, he was her Doctor.

"Don't be crazy." Amy, who had been within earshot, snapped angrily. "What happens to you, hmm?"

"Well, this place is about to explode, but I can stop  _her_." The ganger pointed to the door.

"Both of you can survive this," Amy snapped. "There has to be a way."

"There's not." Rose said, her voice strong and determined while tears ran freely from her eyes.

"Perhaps you think I should stay, instead, Mr. Smith." The Doctor suggested, looking at Amy as though he knew what her answer would be.

"Of course not," Amy said, looking from the Doctors to Rose's teary face. "Look, this man, I've flown with him, you know? And you are amazing, and yeah, I misjudged you. But you are not him. I'm sorry."

Neither Doctor said anything, simply meeting each other's eyes, and it was Rose who spoke. "They swamped shoes, Amy." She said quietly, just loud enough for Amy to hear him.

"I'm the Doctor," said the man standing in front of Amy, closest to the TARDIS.

"And I'm the flesh," finished the other man, who was holding the door closed with all his might while the Jen-monster continued to pound away at it.

"You can't be." Amy whispered, "You're the real him," she said to the ganger Doctor, and Rose could see fear, confusion, and desperation in the girl's eyes.

"No, I'm not." The ganger said with certainty. "And I haven't been all along."

"I'm the original Doctor, Amy." The Doctor said, "we had to know if we were treated the same. It was important – vital – we learn about the flesh and we could only do that through your eyes."

"Why me?" Amy demanded, tears forming in her eyes. "Why not Rose?"

The Doctor sighed. "Because Rose could sense it." He half-lied. Rose could, in fact, sense which Doctor was the original and which was not, but that was not why he'd wanted to learn through Amy's eyes. Amy turned and looked at Rose, and Rose could see the betrayal in her face.

She opted not to say anything, and Amy hugged the ganger Doctor tightly before joining Rory in the TARDIS. Rose didn't hear the whispered words between the two.

"Well, my death arrives, I suppose." The ganger declared, almost cheerfully, and Rose had to chuckle because that was just so  _Doctor-ish_.

"But this one we're not invited to." The Doctor said quietly, watching as Rose's eyes snapped up to meet his. "Your molecular memory can survive this, you know." He said to the ganger. "It may not be the end." He tossed the ganger the ganger-screwdriver.

"Well, if I turn up to nick all your biscuits and Rose, then you'll know you were right, won't you?" The ganger smirked. The Doctor chuckled and turned back to the TARDIS.

Rose met the ganger's eyes before pulling him down into a teary goodbye kiss, a final goodbye to this Doctor. "I love you," She whispered to him before running off to join everyone else in the TARDIS.

She sat heavily in one of the jumpseats, not bothering to wipe her tearstained face. The Doctor was leaning heavily on the console, and Amy was looking tentatively between the two of them. She reached out to take the Doctor's hand, and he jumped at the contact.

"The energy from the TARDIS will stabilize the gangers for good," the Doctor explained to Jimmy and Dicken, "they're people now." Rose watched semi-attentively as the Doctor tossed something to Cleaves, a remedy for the blood clot, she supposed, which she remembered the Doctor and Cleaves discussing earlier. The Doctor piloted the TARDIS to drop off everyone, the formally ganger Jimmy with his son and Cleaves and Dicken at the company, so that they could explain what they were doing to the flesh, and make them stop.

"Breathe, Pond." The Doctor said, and Rose looked away from Amy, a chill running down her spine. Amy was suddenly bent in two, wailing in pain. Rory, who was well and truly confused, led her into the TARDIS.

Rose dreaded what would happen next.

"Doctor, what is happening to her?" Rory demanded as they entered the TARDIS.

The Doctor opened and closed his mouth several times, looking at Rose for help. She winced before turning to the married pair. "She's having contractions." Rose whispered. "She's going into labour."

"You're gunna have to start explaining some of this." Rory snapped as he held his wife, who was very much in pain.

"She's having a baby." The Doctor said drily. "This is why I scanned the flesh." He turned to Amy, screwdriver in hand, and Rose found herself involuntarily looking away. "I needed enough information to block the signal to the flesh." He continued.

"What signal?" Amy asked.

"The signal to you." The Doctor said, looking at her dead in the eye. Rory was ordered to stand away, and the Doctor cut the signal.

Amy dissolved into a pool of flesh.

Rose held Rory as he cried, looking at where his wife had been standing. "We'll find her," she promised. "I swear, we will find her."

* * *

Rose didn't even bother going to her bedroom, as she had the last few nights on the TARDIS. She went directly to the Doctor's bedroom, where she found him leaning heavily against his dresser, back hunched, posture stiff. His eyes had a far away look and Rose knew that in this instant, he wasn't with her.

He was wherever Amy was.

She carefully moved forward, knowing that he had either heard or scented her in the room, and cautiously she put her hands on his back, kneading at the muscles. He relaxed slightly at her touch, letting her massage him for several minutes before he slowly turned around, taking her hands in his, and looking into her eyes.

"We will find her, won't we?" He asked her, his voice small and weak, his face desperate.

Rose released his hands and put her palms on his cheeks, dragging him down to her height and standing on her tiptoes to kiss his forehead. "Yes." She said with as much certainty as she could muster. "We will find her."

He sighed at her touch and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight to his chest as though he were afraid she'd disappear in an instead. She returned the strength of the hug.

She changed quickly into the jimjams the TARDIS had provided, disliking being away from the Doctor for even a few seconds. When they crawled into his bed, she immediately went right to his side, tucking herself against him comfortably. He wrapped his arms around her again and held her tightly until they both fell into a nightmare filled and restless sleep.

 


	3. Friendship Dies and True Love Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons run. Plus Rose.

_Demons run when a good man goes to war_

_Night will fall and drown the sun_

_When a good man goes to war_

_Friendship dies and true love lies_

_Night will fall and the dark will rise_

_When a good man goes to war_

_Demons run, but count the cost_

_The battle's won, but the child is lost._

* * *

"He could help." Rose stood in the console room, feet shoulder width apart, arms crossed over her chest, a determined look on her face. Her relaxed t-shit and jeans look had been traded for a very Torchwood-esque look, a tight black long-sleeved shirt and tight black pants, the bottoms of which were tucked into well worn brown combat boots.

The Doctor was looking anywhere but at her, choosing instead to mess around with the controls on the TARDIS. "No." He said adamantly.

"You're being petty," Rose snapped angrily. "All you have to do is drop me off and I'll go talk to him. You'd barely even have to see him!"

The Doctor angrily pulled down a lever and then lifted his gaze to glare at her. "And do you think I'm comforted by the idea of leaving you with him? He's reckless."

Rose rolled her eyes, her posture still tense and her arms still crossed. "He can't die." She retorted drily.

"That's the point!" The Doctor snapped back.

"Neither can I," Rose retorted. "Drop me off at Torchwood, Doctor."

The Doctor met her gaze and held it for several moments, neither wavering. Finally, without looking away from her, the Doctor pulled a few levers and pressed a few buttons. The TARDIS took off and landed rather smoothly, all things considered.

Rose tilted her head, the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Thank you, dear." She said in a sickeningly sweet tone that made the Doctor groan.

He was at her side in a moment, giving her a tight hug that was instantly reciprocated. "Be safe," he whispered, planting a kiss to the top of her head before releasing her.

She gave him a mock salute and a grin before exiting the TARDIS and stepping into a windy plaza in Cardiff. She looked around for what might be the entrance to Torchwood, spotting it quickly and jogging over. She entered through the unlocked door to see a surprised looking man glance up at her, unbothered, from his seat at an untidy desk with an old-looking computer on it.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said, not unkindly, in a welsh accent, "but the tourist center is closed." He was dressed impeccably in a suit and tie, and seemed rather relaxed as he lounged at the desk, not even pretending to work, nose buried in a book.

Rose smiled. "Well, that's all right." She said pleasantly, clasping her hands behind her back and squaring her shoulders. "If you'd tell Captain Jack Harkness that I'm here, that'd be lovely, though."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm not quite sure who you're talking about." The man replied casually.

Rose smiled at him. "And if you could tell him I'm rather adamant about seeing him, that would be lovely."

The man's face stayed impassive except for the raise of a single eyebrow. "And who shall I tell him is here, ma'am?" He asked, his voice even.

"Rose." She replied curtly but politely, with a small nod of her head.

"Rose…?"

"Just Rose will do." Another smile.

The man blinked a few times, the only that showed his surprise, before he pressed a button and a hidden door opened with a hiss of air. Rose smiled pleasantly at the man as he quickly went through it and spoke into an intercom.

"Captain, we have a visitor." He said.

"A visitor?" Jack's voice came through the intercom, sounding confused. "We're closed."

"She says she'd very much like to see you, sir." The man told Jack. "She says her name is Rose."

Rose smirked as she heard something – a mug, perhaps? – drop to the floor with a loud crash that created some feedback over the intercom. "Let her in." Jack's voice said before the system seemed to cut out.

The young man looked at her with a curious gaze, but Rose simply smiled back, shrugging her shoulder nonchalantly. He unlocked a series of doors and she entered the Torchwood Hub just as Captain Jack Harkness came running around the corner, eyes wide.

"Rose!" He called, running straight towards her and catching her in a tight hug.

She hugged him back, laughing as she patted his back. "Oh, I've missed you!" She told him affectionately.

He broke away from the hug to look her in the face, a wide smile on his lips and the corners of his eyes crinkling happily. He looked quickly over her shoulder and a sheepish look crossed his face. "Rose, this is Ianto Jones, he's our support man," he said happily, winking at her.

Ianto extended his hand, and Rose shook it with a smile. "Rose Tyler," She told the man, who gave her a nod and a minuscule smile.

"Where's the rest of your team, Jack?" Rose asked the Captain, peering around the hub curiously.

"We're closed, Rose," Jack said with a grin, "They've gone home."

Rose raised her eyebrows and turn to give a knowing look at Ianto, who said nothing, but his ears started to tinge red, making Rose smile. "Coffee, sir?" He directed the question to Jack before turning his intense gaze on Rose, "or tea?"

* * *

Rose hummed in appreciation after taking a sip of Ianto's brew. "That man is a God send," she told Jack.

His answering grin was mischievous. "I know." Rose chuckled at the implication. "So what brings you back to the universe, Rose? I was under the impression that crossing dimensions was impossible. Then again, that's what I though last time too. Tell me, do you just really not like it over there?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

Rose took another sip of her tea. "Well, the chips  _were_  rubbish," she said casually, earning a laugh from Jack before he leaned against his desk intently. "That alone is enough to tear down some walls and get the hell out of there." Her evasive answer wasn't lost on Jack, but the man could tell she didn't want to talk about it right away. He'd question her again later.

"So, Rose," Jack grinned his flirtatious smile. "What can I do for you?"

Rose pretended to look hurt. "I can't stop by to say hello to my favourite immortal conman?" She asked, her bottom lip jutting out to complete the wounded expression.

Jack laughed. "You can," he acknowledged. "But something tells me you're not."

* * *

The Vortex Manipulator was like a sucker punch to the stomach, and Rose groaned when they arrived back on the TARDIS. Jack helped steady her until the Doctor rushed over, patting her everywhere to make sure she was all right.

The Doctor and Jack exchanged few words, but there was an underlying tension between the two of them, and Rose wondered if that was new or it had always been there and she'd just been a bit thick. As the Doctor went to get Madam Vastra, Jenny Flint, and Strax, Rose went on an entirely different errand.

Her combat boots echoed with every step she took as she purposefully made her way through the poorly lit hallways of the Stormcage, and Rose felt a shiver rack through her body at the dull grey walls and fluorescent lights. It was meant, she supposed, to instill fear in the occupants, but Rose wondered if those who ended up in here in the first place had much to fear from lonely hallways and blinking lights.

The alarms went off loudly, and though Rose had been expecting them, she jumped. They were loud and obnoxious and she figured it was a good way to get the guards moving because she'd do just about anything to get that noise to stop.

When she reached the hallway she'd been going to, she slowed significantly, taking cautious and deliberate steps so that her boots became soundless against the damp concrete floor.

Her target sashayed into view, picking up the phone on the wall and lightly saying, "Oh, turn it off, I'm breaking in, not out. This is River Song, back in her cell. Oh, and I'll take breakfast at the usual time. Thank you," she finished in a singsong voice as she lightly hung up the phone and continued to dance her way to her cell. The alarms turned off and Rose partially stepped out of the shadows, catching River's attention. "Oh," she said pleasantly, coming to a stop and looking casually at Rose's hidden figure. "Who are you supposed to be? Catwoman? Are you all dressing up as super heroes now?" Rose saw the corner of the woman's mouth curve upwards in a sultry smile. "You need better shoes," River told her airily.

Rose left the shadows behind, becoming fully visible to River. "All I need is the mask," she said playfully, a single eyebrow arching gracefully.

River rolled her shoulders, keeping her gaze and wicked smile on Rose. "Well, it certainly is a step in the right direction."

Rose felt a smirk grow on her lips. "River Song," She took a few more steps closer to the woman. "My name is Rose. We haven't met yet, but I think you know who I am."

All playfulness was gone from River's face in an instant. She took several steps forward until she was only a couple feet away from Rose, looking at her with wide eyes. Rose could see veiled disappointment on River's face. "Yes." She said quietly, meeting Rose's eyes. "Yes, I know who you are." She took a deep breath and smiled slightly, though this smile was not the normal, mischievous smile she usually wore, but a sadder sigh of a smile that made Rose hurt for the woman who now knew he future included Rose. "Hello, Rose." River said quietly.

"Hi," Rose responded, her voice thick.

"It's my birthday," River said with a teary eyed smile. "The Doctor took me ice skating on the River Thames in 1814, the last of the Great Frost Fairs. He got Stevie Wonder to sing for me under London Bridge." She told Rose enthusiastically, a tears disappearing from her eyes at the memory of only a few minutes ago.

Rose smirked again, her single eyebrow arching with amusement. "Stevie Wonder sang in 1814?" She asked the woman.

"Yes, he did," River nodded before leaning in to whisper, a finger on her lips, "but you must never tell him." She chuckled a conspiratorial laugh that Rose returned.

"I've come from the Doctor, too," Rose said, keeping her voice light, offering her arm to River, who took it with a wink as they ambled back to River's cell.

"Yes, but at a different point in time," River acknowledged.

"Yes," Rose grinned. "Unless there's two of them."

River's lips pulled into a wicked smile. "Now, that's a whole different birthday," she said.

Rose laughed. "You're telling me."

When they'd reached her cell, River pulled out her TARDIS blue diary and opened it to the desired page. Her smile fell from her face and she turned to look at Rose in shock. "Demons Run." She said, her voice quiet but not longer playful.

"Yes."

River gave her a once over; a masking smile hiding the pain and fear that Rose knew River was feeling. "Why are you dressed like that?"

Rose smiled in return, but it didn't reach her eyes. "It's very secret agent-y, isn't it? I've always wanted to play superhero."

River raised an eyebrow. "Catwoman is no superhero." She said, her voice low.

Rose's smile faltered. "No," she replied. "She isn't. And it seems that in this plan, I'll be playing the anti-hero as well."

River's mask was gone in an instant, sympathy crossing her features quickly. "You know I can't go." She said quietly. "Do you know why?"

"Yes."

"The Battle of Demons Run." River continued quietly, not meeting Rose's eyes. "The Doctor's darkest hour. He'll rise higher than ever before and then fall so much further. And I can't be with him till the very end."

"I know," Rose whispered, pain evident on her face.

River frowned. "How doesn't he know? You haven't told him?"

Rose met her eyes for a moment, running her hand through her hair. "He would never ask me to look at the timelines. Foreknowledge is dangerous. You know that." She said with a weak and false smile.

River laughed humorlessly. "Oh, do I ever."

Rose chuckled with her for a moment before running her hand through her hair again. "You've realized what I'm going to ask you to do now, yeah?" She asked, her heart pounding in her chest as she asked the question.

River sighed. "Oh, yes. I hope you don't mind if I say that it does give me the slightest bit of pleasure."

Rose grinned wolfishly. "I'd expect as much." Tears were starting to build in her eyes and Rose cursed herself for her foolishness. She'd known how this meeting would end since the beginning, had prepared herself for it, and yet she felt her body betray her as fear settled into her core.

River said nothing for several minutes, simply looking at Rose. Eventually, she asked, "Do you think he'll be able to forgive you for something like this?" River knew the answer to her question, of course, one of the perks to being in timelines moving in opposite directions, but she wanted to know what Rose was thinking as the blonde began executing a plan that the Doctor would most certainly see as a betrayal of his trust.

Rose let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "I think…" she trailed off, lifting her eyes and looking towards the ceiling, fighting back tears. "I think this will be easier to forgive than the alternative." She finally said, quietly.

River raised her eyebrows as she regarded Rose. "The alternative?"

Rose nodded. "Fight." She said. "Fight against them, but not tell him that you'll be taken anyway. Fight and pretend not to know exactly who you are. Fight and pretend not to know what will happen to you. Fight, but ultimately, purposefully, let you go."

River was silent, but nodded again. "I won't tell him you knew." She said quietly.

Rose's face betrayed her surprise as her eyes widened and her eyebrows lifted.

River pulled out her gun with a sigh. "For the record," she said as she brought it up, pointing it at Rose, "I am sorry."

An instant later Rose felt pain explode from her stomach, and then there was nothing.

* * *

Rory swallowed thickly as the TARDIS landed in a hidden corner of Demons Run. Aboard the ship, several people were standing in anxious silence. The Silurian Madam Vastra and her wife Jenny Flint, the Sontaran Strax, a rather large blue man by the name of Dorium Maldovar, a pirate named Henry Avery and his son, Toby, and a time agent turned conman called Captain Jack Harkness were all standing in the TARDIS console room as the Doctor leaned heavily on the console.

It was the conman who broke the silence. "Where's Rose?" He asked the Doctor, who didn't appear to be paying attention. "She said she'd be back."

The Doctor said nothing for several minutes, staring at his hands. His was gripping the console with so much force that his knuckles were turning white, but he found he didn't care. Truthfully, he'd been wondering where Rose was for the past hour. He'd known that it was dangerous to send her to get River Song, but she'd insisted that she could manage the troublesome archaeologist. She should have been back three hours ago, and the Doctor had attributed her tardiness to Doctor Song being difficult.

He tried not to let her absence get to him. "She can take care of herself." He growled, though his hearts, squeezing painfully in his chest, seemed to disagree. "We can't wait any longer. It has to be now."

* * *

Madame Kovarian walked confidently down the hallway of Demons Run. "Get back in there with the rest of them," She instructed the two men carrying Melody Pond in a basinet coldly. "Remember, the Doctor must think he's winning, right until the trap closes. I'll take my ship from here." The clerics nodded and saluted before turning to join the rest of the men, leaving Kovarian alone.

She typed in a quick code.

_AIRLOCK ENGAGED. SHUTTLE READY FOR BOARDING_.

Suddenly a blade was being pressed against her neck. "No." A voice uttered dangerously. Rory Williams walked around the eye-patch wearing woman carefully, his gaze locked on her face and his sword remaining against her neck.

She scoffed at him, a smirk on her lips. "I have a crew of twenty." She said confidently. "How do you expect to gain control of my ship?"

Rory scoffed in returning, a dangerous grin on his face. Just them, the door to the ship opened, the airlock broken. A knocked out cleric was casually tossed aside as a pirate, a young boy, and a conman in a 1940s trench coat stepped out, guns at the ready. "The ship is our, my lady," the pirate declared, a triumphant grin on his lips.

* * *

"But she's human." The Doctor insisted to Madame Vastra. "She's Amy and Rory's daughter."

He, Vastra and Dorium, and Jack were all in the control room, Vastra and the Doctor heatedly arguing while Dorium and Jack watched attentively.

"You've told me about your people," Vastra replied, meeting his eyes. "They became what they did through prolonged exposure to the Time Vortex. The Untempered Schism."

"Over  _billions_  of years! It didn't just happen!" The Doctor argued, giving her a sparing glance and walking away.

"So how close is  _she_?" Vastra demanded. "Could she even regenerate?"

The Doctor stopped. "No, no I don't think so."

"You don't sound so sure." Vastra said incredulously.

"Because I don't understand how this happened." The Doctor snapped.

"Which leads me to ask  _when_  did it happen?"

The Doctor looked at her in confusion. "When?" He repeated.

Vastra let out an annoyed huff. "I  _am_  trying to be delicate," she told him impatiently. "When did this baby…" she trailed off, her lips pinching as she searched for a word. "…begin?" she finished.

Realization finally bloomed on the Doctor's face and his shoulders straightened. "Oh…you mean…?"

"Quite." Vastra replied, her voice tight.

The Doctor began to fidget with his jacket and with his bowtie. "Well, how would I know? That's all humany…private stuff. It just sort of goes on." His hands were waving frantically. "They don't put up a balloon, or anything," he finished tensely, turning to pace away from the Silurian.

"I gotta admit," Jack said sheepishly. "After a day with the Doctor, even I would be pretty damn tired. I mean, not necessarily  _too_  tired, if you know what I mean," he added with a wink at Vastra, who regarded him coolly.

"Yes, thanks Jack," the Doctor rolled his eyes, pacing the halls of Demons Rune.

"But could the child have begin on the TARDIS, in flight, in the Vortex?" Vastra called after him.

He whirled to face her. "No, no, impossible!" He hollered from hallway down the hall. "It's all running about, sexy fish vampires, and blowing up stuff," he explained enthusiastically as he walked back towards the group. "And Rory wasn't even there at the beginning! Then he was dead, then he didn't exist, then he was plastic. Then, I had to reboot the whole universe – long story – so, technically, the first time they were on the TARDIS together in this version of reality was on their –" he cut off suddenly, his eyes widening with realization.

Vastra tilted her head, regarding him seriously. "On their…what?"

"On their wedding night." The Doctor finished uncomfortably. Dorium and Vastra stared at him while Jack let out an angry bellow of laughter. "It doesn't make sense." He snapped, running his hand through his hair nervously and pacing tensely and angrily. "You can't just cook yourself a Time Lord!"

"Of course not," Vastra rolled her eyes. "But you gave them one hell of a start, and they've been working very hard ever since."

"And yet they gave in so easily," Dorium jumped in for the first time. "Does this not bother anyone else?"

"Amy, she worried the baby would have a time-head…she said that…that…that…" The Doctor continued to pace, his eyes wild.

"Only you would ignore the instincts of a mother," Vastra said, sounding slightly exasperated.

"Or the instincts of a coward," Dorium added. "This is too easy. There's something wrong."

"Why even do it?" The Doctor wondered. "Even if you could get your hands on a brand-new Time Lord, what for?"

Jack exchanged a glance with Madame Vastra. "A weapon." They both said at the same time.

"Why would a Time Lord be a weapon?" The Doctor shot back.

"Well," Vastra huffed, surprise in her eyes. "They've seen you."

"Me?" The Doctor repeated, his voice suddenly very small. Jack clasped his hand over the Time Lord's shoulder, hoping to offer some comfort. The Doctor sank slowly onto an office chair.

* * *

As the Doctor stood amongst the bodies of his friends and his enemies, he felt the weight of their deaths and of the loss of Melody weigh down on his shoulders.

It had all been for nothing.

A crash of lightning made everyone jumped, and a familiar voice broke through his thoughts.

"Well, then, soldier, how goes the day?"

The Doctor turned to see a sight that shocked him to his very core, on that he would remember for the rest of his lives.

River Song.

Crouching down.

Holding the limp body of Rose Tyler.

He felt ice water run through his veins as he looked at his girl, his Rose, eyes close and clearly unconscious. He rushed over to her and put his hand to her neck, relieved to feel a pulse under his fingers. He ran his fingers all over her face and through her hair before quickly taking her in his arms and pulling her away from River. The weight of her limp body sent another wash of ice water through his system. He carefully leaned her against the wall so that she was in a sitting position and kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger and closing his eyes tightly. "I'm so sorry," he whispered to her before he turned on River. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jack rush to her side.

"What they  _hell_  did you do?" he asked her angrily, marching towards her and stopping a few feet away. "Every time you'd asked, I have been there to help you. This is how you repay me? You leave my best friend's  _child_  to be taken and you shoot Rose?" He was shouting at her despite the fact that she stood close.

River stared at him for a few seconds. "I couldn't have prevented this." She told him.

"You could've  _tried_." The Doctor snapped before turning and walking away, looking over at where Jack had sat down next to Rose so that she leaned heavily against him, gripping her hand tightly, his face drawn tight with worry.

"And so could you," River said calmly, a sadness undertone to her voice. The Doctor stopped in his tracks. River turned to look over where Rory and Amy were holding each other tightly, tears tracks on their cheeks and surprise in their eyes. "I know you're not all right," she said, "but hold tight, Amy, because you're going to be."

"You think I wanted this?" The Doctor demanded. "I didn't do this. This – this wasn't me!"

"This was exactly you," River replied. "All of this. All of it! You make them so afraid. When you began, all those years ago, sailing off to see the universe, did you ever think you could become this?" She hissed at him. "Did you think you would become the man who could turn an army around at the mention of his name? Is that who you were in your last body? Is that who you were in the one before? I don't think so," she scoffed. "Even your companions," her eyes darted quickly to the unconscious form that was only a few feet away. "Do you know how many people know of the Bad Wolf, Doctor? How many battles have started because of her and how many people have died in her name?" She shook her head. "'Doctor'…the word for 'healer' and 'wise man' throughout the universe. We get that word from you, you know. But if you carry on the way you are, what might that word come to mean? To the people of the Gamma Forests, the word 'doctor' means 'mighty warrior'." She walked around him, keeping her sad eyes trained on him. "How far you've come." She sighed and walked over to Rose, crouching before the unconscious woman while the Doctor watched silently. "I had to do this because her presence would have changed the outcome. She knew it too, but she was ready to fight with you anyway, Doctor, knowing that she would change history. And now they've taken a child," she stood and walked back to him. "The child of your best friends, and they're going to turn her into a weapon just to bring you down. And all this in fear of you."

The Doctor advanced on her slowly, the Storm brewing in his eyes. They locked gazes for several minutes before the Doctor asked, "Who are you?"

River's lips curled upwards slightly, "Oh look, your cot," she smirked, walking backwards towards where the cot had been placed for Melody. "Haven't seen that in a very long while."

"No, no, you tell me." The Doctor followed, his tone low and dangerous. "You tell me who you are."

River carefully wrapped his hand around the edge of the cot. "I am telling you," she told him quietly. "Can't you read?"

He looked down at the cot for several moments before lifting his gaze back to her, his eyes wide with shock. A soft smile started to form on her lips as she watched him realize the truth. His face spit into a wide grin as he looked between River and the Ponds excitedly.

Then he was moving. "Vastra, Jenny, until next time. Rory and Amy, I know where to find your daughter, and on my life she will be safe. River, get them all home." He quickly moved to the unconscious Rose and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her bridal style back towards the TARDIS. Jack scrambled to his feet and watched him go, uncertainty playing at his features.

"Doctor!" Amy called after him, chasing him as he entered the TARDIS. He poked his head out to grin at all of them before the door slammed shut and the TARDIS was gone.

* * *

The Doctor sent the ship into the Vortex and then carefully carried Rose to his room, setting her gently down on the bed and giving her a kiss on the forehead. He then removed his jacket and chucked off his shoes before sitting next to her, pulling her onto him so that she was resting on his chest and her legs were across his thighs. He hugged her tightly to his chest, resting his chin against the top of her head.

His hearts pounded in his chest. She'd been shot. The gun had been set on stun, thankfully, but she'd been shot because he'd sent her off to get someone he knew for a fact was a murderer.

The thrum of her heart against his chest comforted him. He concentrated on his breathing, the sound of her heart, the smell of her hair…

A quick breath from her shocked him back to the real world. A tremor ran through her and he hugged her tighter. "Rose?" He whispered. "Rose, are you awake?"

"No," Rose grumbled into his chest, making him laugh in sheer relief. Her hand crawled up his body and stopped at his mouth, and once her fingers had found his lips she pressed her palm against them. "Headache. 'S'too loud."

He reached up to the hand on his mouth and gave it a quick kiss before he pulled it off and placing it back around his hip. "Sorry," he whispered, still shaking with silent laughter. She gave him a quick squeeze before dozing off again, snoring lightly.

* * *

The second time Rose woke up, she was burrowed in the blankets of the Doctor's bed, alone. She blinked a few times as the TARDIS slowly adjusted the lights, turning them on at a speed that Rose wouldn't be blinded. She sent a quick thanks to the ship and received a hum that felt distinctly like  _you're welcome_.

Rose threw off the blankets, moaning slightly as she sat up, one hand flying to her aching head. She stood carefully, stretching her fingers to the ceiling and bending to either side, feeling her back and shoulder  _pop_  satisfactorily. She felt her stomach growl and slowly made her way to the galley.

When she finally arrived, she spotted the Doctor. He was standing over the stove, a spatula in hand, focusing intently on what he was doing. She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, watching him work.

He turned around, pan in hand, and jumped when he saw her there, sputtering in surprise before stopping himself and grinning widely. "Hungry?"

"Starving," Rose admitted, uncrossing her arms and moving to the table, where she took the seat with the empty plate in front of it. The Doctor dropped the omelet that had been in the pan into the plate and turned back around to put the pan back on the burner and to grab some utensils for her. He handed them to her quickly, aiming to spin back to the stove and make his own breakfast, when he hand wrapped around his forearm and stopped him. He looked at her in question.

She raised her eyebrows, looking purposefully down at his chest and then back to his face. Confused, he looked down at his chest. When he saw what she was raising her eyebrows at, he grinned.  _Kiss the cook_  was written across the front of his apron. He bent down and gently pressed his lips against hers, feeling her smile into the quick kiss. He pulled away with a wink, and she grinned and released his arm.

She took a bite of the omelet and moaned in appreciation, barely registering when the spatula the Doctor had been using clattered loudly on the floor, and the Doctor picked it up quickly, the tips of his ears turning red. "'S'gorgeous," She half said, half moaned. He turned to smile at her; ears still red from embarrassment at hearing the  _sounds_  she was uttering.

The hissing kettle made him jump, and he turned back to the stove, quickly pouring her a cuppa and placing it in front of her. She grinned widely at him.

He finished cooking his own omelet and sat across from her, watching her as he ate. She grabbed his hand and sent a wave of affection his way, making him smile.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her when they'd finished.

"Achy," she admitted. "But I've been through worse."

He sighed, "I'm sorry, Rose. If I'd have known-"

"I asked her to." Rose said quickly, eyes on her hands. The hand she'd been holding slipping out from her palm to grip her forearm tightly. Rose winced. That would leave bruises.

The Doctor's gaze snapped up to her face, though she continued to avoid meeting his eyes. "Pardon?" He said quietly, dangerously.

"Well," Rose drawled, nervously running her hand through her hair, a tick reminiscent of his last incarnation. "Not in so many words, I suppose. But technically –"

"You  _asked_  her." He repeated, his voice still dangerously low. She swallowed. "And pray tell, Rose, why you asked her to  _shoot_  you." His grip tightened on her arm again, and she winced. He noticed and snapped his hand away. She could it shaking slightly and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before she spoke.

"I knew who she was," Rose whispered. The Doctor hadn't moved an inch from his seat, and his jaw was jutting out angrily as he held his tongue, allowing her to speak. "I knew what had to happen. I saw her timeline."

Rose watched him, biting her lip nervously. He said nothing for several minutes, looking at her few a few seconds before looking away again, his jaw setting as he ground his teeth. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. "Why didn't you _fight_  with me, Rose?" He asked, his voice deepening until it was a guttural growl, but he was still managing to shout, somehow.

Rose sighed. "You know very well why I didn't tell you, Doctor," she replied softly, wringing her hands together. "And I couldn't…I couldn't fight with you knowing how much it would hurt you when you found out that it was all in vain, and that I knew. I couldn't watch you save the ganger of Melody and celebrate with you knowing how far you'd fall when you found out the truth. It had to go that way, I couldn't do anything about that, but I couldn't pretend. So I asked River to shoot me."

She glanced at him hesitantly. He'd stood from his seat and had turned his back to her, leaning against the counter, knuckles whitening with the stretch of his grip on the edge of the countertop and his head hanging low.

"Do you not trust me, Rose?" He asked her quietly from his hunched position.

Rose's head snapped up, her eyes widening in surprise. "Of course I do," she replied incredulously, standing from her chair and moving so she was next to him, reaching out hesitantly to touch his back but pulling her hand away at the last second. "I just…" she trailed off, biting her lip as she considered her words. "I don't want to hurt you," she said quietly.

"Withholding information from me is  _not a choice you get to make_!" He finally snapped, turning to face her. His face was tight and his eyes burned with anger and betrayal. "You don't get to decide my fate, Rose Tyler," he snarled.

She recoiled slightly and the sudden explosion of anger from him, blinking a few times. Then she sighed heavily, fighting the buildup of tears in her eyes. "With most companions, that's true, Doctor. But I'm not most companions. I see timelines, sometimes by accident, and I see things you can't know. I'm not trying to decide your fate. I'm just trying to maintain the timelines." She explained softly. When he didn't reply for several minutes, turning her back to her as she spoke again, Rose let out a shaky breath, a tear falling loose and sliding down her cheek. She wiped it quickly. "I'm sorry," she whispered to him, then she turned and walked out of the galley and back to his bedroom, sitting on the bed heavily and resting her head in her hands, a few more tears falling loose when she was out of sight.

In the galley, the Doctor continued to seethe with anger. He continued to be angry for several minutes, hurt and betrayed by Rose's admission, before he began to think somewhat clearly.

He rubbed his face with his hands. She'd just been trying to maintain the timelines, as he did almost everyday, like River did whenever she met him, travelled with him, spoke to him. And yet he'd forgiven River almost instantaneously when he'd heard her reasoning, and yet when Rose explained herself he'd completely shut her out. He'd shouted at her.

He couldn't keep treating Rose like he had when they'd first met, he realized. Rose had been in the parallel world for over two centuries, learning about her abilities and about the timelines, and yet he treated her like a child who toyed with time for fun. She was trying to maintain the timelines and he'd responded with anger.

He needed to see her.

He turned on his heels and walked quickly out of the galley, letting the TARDIS nudge him in the right direction. She led him to his (their?) bedroom, where he saw her standing. Her shoulders were heavily hunched, and she seemed to be shaking slightly. One hand was resting on her hip while the other covered her eyes and forehead, as though she her holding her head up. She was breathing heavily and tears were leaking down her cheeks, and the Doctor felt a pang of guilt in his core.

He moved forward quickly, swiping his thumb across her cheek to wipe away tear tracks, making her jump. He carefully moved her hand away from her face, meeting her eyes for a moment before he leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. She let out a quiet sob and leaned into him, hesitantly wrapped her arms around his waist.

He wrapped one arm around hers and smoothed her hair softly, murmuring apologies into her ear.

They stayed that way for several minutes, apologizing to each other and taking comfort in the other's presence.

"I forget how old you are sometimes," the Doctor admitted quietly, speaking into her hair.

She giggled slightly, the sound vibrating in his chest and making a small smile appear on his lips. "I don't know if that's a good thing or not," she joked, nestling against his chest comfortably. He tightened his hug.

"Me neither," he mumbled back, and she laughed.

"How about this?" Rose pulled away from him to look him in the eye. "If I think I can't be somewhere because it feels off, or I've seen the timelines by mistake or something, I'll just tell you I can't go and swan off to the library or something, and you'll accept that and go about your business?"

He took a deep breath, holding it for several seconds while he considered her proposition. "That sounds…reasonable." He decided. She smiled at that, and he bent down to capture her lips in a light kiss. Hugging her tightly to him again. She let out another giggle and he smiled, and for the briefest second, all was right with the world.

Or it wasn't.

Quite frankly, so long as he was kissing Rose Tyler, he didn't really give a damn about how the world was doing. He would deal with that later.

**So yes, a little shorter, but I think it leads us nicely into the next chapter, the ones we've all been waiting for! Probably. I mean, I imagine you have, cause it's essentially the point of the story.**

**Please remember to review - reviews are like candy to me, I actually get unnecessarily excited about them.**


	4. A Single Moment: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events of the 50th...plus Rose!

"What should we do today, Doctor?" Rose asked lightly as she skipped into the console room. She felt light and happy after a warm cuppa in the library and her favourite book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and was ready to stop with the lazy Sunday-like-days in the TARDIS and ready for what she affectionately still called 'the bits in between'. She was dressed casually in comfortable black trousers, a new pair of trainers, and light pink t-shirt. She made her way over to where the Doctor was sitting with his back to her on the steps of the console room, his nose, upon which a pair of round, brown reading glasses were perched, was buried in a thick book about quantum mechanics. Moving quickly, she placed her hands on his shoulders, leaned over and planted a quick kiss to his forehead. "There are comfier places to read, you know," she told him lightly, amusement in her tone.

She felt a telepathic hum of pleasure and amusement from him. "Anything in particular you were hoping for, sweetheart?" He asked her, his eyes still on pages of the thick book that looked absolutely dreadfully boring to her, but seemed quite engrossing to him.

Since losing the Ponds to the Weeping Angels – thinking about it still made Rose clench her jaw – the Doctor had completely changed his look, abandoning the tweed jack in lieu of a purple frock coat, which Rose quite liked. He wore a purple waistcoat, which contrasted nicely with his white oxford and matched his coat, buttoned and meticulously ironed and on which hung a small fob watch. His trousers were, as per usual, rather short, ending at least an inch about his ankle, which was covered by his tan, lace up boots. He didn't, however, lose his signature bowtie.

"Surprise me," She drawled, her signature Rose Tyler smile flashing when he turned to look at her with raised eyebrows.

He grinned widely, snapping his book shut and carelessly tossing it aside before removing his glasses and tucking them carefully into one of the bigger-on-the-inside pockets in his coat. "Shall we pick up Clara?" He suggested as he began his dance around the console room.

It had been well over two months since they'd last picked up Clara, so Rose diplomatically suggested they snatch her up two weeks after they'd dropped her off at her new teaching job at Coal Hill Secondary School. When Clara had told Rose about her new job, while the Doctor tinkered in the background, he'd made both of them jump when he burst out laughing at the name of a board member she'd met, a mister Ian Chesterton. He'd later explained to Rose that Ian had been one of the Doctor's first human companions, and that him and another teacher, Barbara Wright, had only found out about him when they'd followed Susan back to the TARDIS after school one day.

"Think Clara would fancy going to the Garazone Bazaar with me?" Rose asked as she watched the Doctor twirl and skip around the console, a fond smile on her face. He was energetic in this body, Rose knew, and masked his age and weariness with an enthusiasm that rivaled his last body's.

He scoffed at her, shooting her a scathing look. "There  _are_ other things to do in the universe other than  _shopping_ , you know" he said drily with a hint of a whine in his voice, ignoring an eye roll from Rose. "She can do all the shopping she wants on earth! Let's go somewhere worthwhile, like…like…"

"Mesopotamia?" Rose suggested sarcastically, unprepared for the Doctor to turn quickly and meet her gaze with wide eyes and practically shaking with excitement.

"And then we can go to future Mars!" He whooped enthusiastically, still walking around the console, flailing his arms about as he did so. Rose had to duck or dodge his hands several times to avoid getting him. He gave her a quick peck on the lips the next time he passed her by, making her laugh, which always resulted in him laughing.

"Did you want to go to the moon, too?" Rose asked him, feeling young and light as her tongue poked out in her signature grin, noticing when the Doctor's eyes hesitated on her tongue for just a moment too long.

"Excellent idea, Rose," he positively beamed at her as he stopped, pushing down a final lever with a grin and sending the TARDIS to their destination. They were quickly jolted to the side as the TARDIS shook, and both ended up on their backs, laughing like a pair of fools.

The Doctor got to his feet quickly and gracelessly, scrambling slightly, while Rose stood more slowly, using the railing to pull herself up and shaking her head in amusement at her Doctor's antics. He shot her a quick glare before grabbing the telephone from the console, dialing quickly and then looking rather impatient while being force to wait for someone to pick up.

"Yes! Hello! I'm looking for Clara Oswald, please." He said enthusiastically. There was a small pause, and then, "Well, then, please tell her the Doctor is here for her, and give her this address," he rattled off their address before hanging up the phone decisively, without saying goodbye, looking quite proud of himself. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at his antics, a small smile still on her lips, before going back into their bedroom to fetch her jacket.

* * *

It wasn't long before they heard the sound of a motor and a horn being pressed. When Rose re-entered console room, jacket in hand, Clara was dismounting her motorbike and pulling off her helmet. The Doctor had returned to his earlier position on the steps, glasses donned and book in hand, flipping through the pages casually. "Draught," he said drily, without even greeting Clara, earning himself a reproachful glare from Rose.

Clara brought up her fingers and clicked them purposefully, the TARDIS doors slamming shut behind her, making her grin. Rose made her way over to Clara and gave her a tight hug, which the brunette returned enthusiastically. The Doctor closed his book with a decisive  _thump_ , making both women jump. He turned to regard Clara with a serious look. "Fancy a week in ancient Mesopotamia? Followed by future Mars." He asked her seriously.

Clara inhaled deeply and casually slung her arm over Rose's shoulder, propping the other on her hip. "Will there be cocktails?" She asked, making Rose grin and hold back a few laughs.

The Doctor stood, a serious look still on his face, and straightened out his shoulders. "On the moon." He told her, taking off his glasses and tucking them into his pocket.

Clara twisted so that her chin lifted confidently over her shoulder. "The moon'll do." She agreed.

The two regarded each other seriously for a few moments before breaking out into laughter and moving forward, meeting halfway in a tight hug.

Rose smiled from her position, watching the two with crossed arms and warm eyes. When they separated, she moved forward the lean against the console next to Clara. "How's the new job?" She asked her friend, nudging the brunette with her shoulder.

"Teach anything good?" The Doctor added.

Clara scrunched up her nose. "No. Learn anything?"

"No," the Doctor and Rose said at the same time, grinning at each other.

Suddenly, the TARDIS began to shake, catching all three of them off guard. "Oh, oh! We're taking off! But the engines aren't going!" the Doctor thought aloud, moving to the console at the same time as Rose rushed to the other side to look at the monitor. Clara contented herself by steadying herself on the console.

While Rose continued to fiddle with the console in an attempt to get the monitor to work, the Doctor ran to the TARDIS doors, ignoring Rose and Clara's shouts as he wrenched it open and reached out and grabbed the phone outside the box.

"There's a phone on the console, you bleedin' idiot," Rose muttered through clenched teeth as Clara ran to him.

Rose didn't hear the conversation that the Doctor had over the phone, but she was suddenly overcome with a strange sense, akin to having a bitter taste in one's mouth that she couldn't identify. With an irritated sigh – she'd so been looking forward to an adventure – she resigned herself to the fact that she'd probably have to sit most of this one out.

At least she wasn't leaving the Doctor to check out whatever was happening on his own. She trusted Clara to keep him in line.

Her eyes widened as the TARDIS shook violently again, nearly knocking her off her feet. She looked quickly to the doors, where Clara was holding onto the only visible part of the Doctor – his legs. The TARDIS was shouting angrily in her mind, disliking how she was being transported, and Rose did her best to sooth the anxious ship.

Oh, for God's sake.

When the TARDIS was satisfied that she wouldn't be damaged, Rose left the console and moved to the door to see where they were. Outside, the Doctor was talking angrily to a middle-aged blonde woman who seemed strangely familiar to Rose, although she couldn't for the life of her place where she'd met the woman before, and next to the blonde woman was a young woman, perhaps in her twenties, wearing large glasses and a long scarf that made Rose smile. Behind those two stood several men in black uniforms, helmets and all, holding large guns, which made her frown. Rose recognized the building in front of her as the National Gallery, and she felt her eyebrows rise involuntarily. She leaned against the doorframe of the TARDIS and caught a few of the Doctor's words.

"…I don't like being picked up." He said to the blonde. Rose choked on a laugh.

"That probably sounded better in his head," Clara said seriously, looking at the blonde woman.

"I'm acting on instructions direct from the throne," the blonde woman told him, squinting her eyes and holding her jacket closed tightly against the wind of the helicopter blades. The brunette with the long scarf handed a letter to the blonde, who then handed it to the Doctor. "Sealed orders from her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I."

The Doctor cautiously took the letter, turning it in his hands. "Elizabeth I?" Clara repeated, looking at the letter like it was made of gold. Rose grinned. Adventures through space and time with the Doctor were never ordinary.

"Her credentials are inside," the blonde said. The Doctor went to break the seal, but the blonde stopped him. "No. Inside," she pointed to the National Gallery.

The Doctor stared a the blonde for a few minutes before making his way through the men towards the gallery, though not before commenting on the brunette's scarf, which made Rose smile again. He turned his head, presumably to talk to her, because he stopped and spun around when he didn't see her next to him. He looked at her with raised eyebrows.

Rose made a show of sighing deeply and leaning flirtatiously against the console, showing the curve of her hip. "Think I'll sit this one out, for now, love." She told him, smile affectionately at him, though she was sure he could sense her disappointment at having to stay behind.

He walked back to her quickly, ignoring the raised eyebrows of the men and the blonde as he reached out to put one of his hands on her hip and the other cupping her face, as he frowned at her. "Everything all right, sweetheart?" He asked her quietly.

She nodded, unconsciously pressing her cheek into his palm. "Just a feeling." She told him with a small shrug and a smile. He regarded her for a few more seconds before giving her a tiny nod, leaning in and quickly pressing his lips against hers before turning away again, back towards the National Gallery. "Clara," She called, and the brunette turned to her, catching her eye and smiling, lifting an eyebrow in question. "Do you have your mobile on you?" She asked. The brunette nodded, reaching into her pocket and holding up the small item. Rose nodded and smiled, waving goodbye before closing the door behind her. Better safe than sorry, she reckoned. She never knew what kind of trouble the Doctor might get into and it was certainly handy to make sure Clara had a way of contacting her should anything happen.

Once she was alone in the TARDIS, Rose sighed. "I always miss all the fun," she grumbled to herself, smiling when the TARDIS hummed reassuringly in her mind. "Thanks, dear," he said to the ship. With a frustrated sigh, she skipped off to the galley to make herself another cuppa, grinning when she spotted her book on the table, patting the ship's wall in thanks.

* * *

The Doctor and Clara quickly made their way up the steps of outside the National gallery, flanked on either side by the men in the black army uniforms. Once inside, Clara caught up to the Doctor, walking next to him. "How come Rose didn't come?" She asked. It happened on occasion that Rose would suddenly announce that she was not joining them on a particular adventure, kissing the Doctor goodbye before disappearing into the bowels of the ship. Clara often feared that Rose didn't like her for some reason, but the blonde always seemed perfectly friendly and happy to see her, so Clara was left mystified at her strange decisions. She also noticed, rather quickly, that whenever Rose stayed behind, the Doctor's entire demeanour changed. He walked with a hunch in his shoulders and his face became impassive, bored or frustrated, at times. His temper was shorter and he laughed less.

Clara liked it significantly better when Rose came along.

"Dunno," the Doctor said quickly.

Clara sensed that he did not want to talk about Rose and quickly changed the subject. "Did you know her? Elizabeth the first?" She asked, almost not believing it but also knowing that nothing was so strange as to be impossible when traveling with the Doctor.

"Unified Intelligence Task Force." The Doctor said instead, not looking at her as he continued to walk quickly.

"Sorry?"

"This lot. UNIT. They investigate alien stuff. Anything alien." He told her, an odd tone in his voice.

"What, like you?" She asked, confused as to why they were being brought to the National Gallery by an alien-hunting military organization.

"I work for them." The Doctor told her.

Clara felt like her eyebrows must have hit her hairline. " _You_  have a job?" She asked him incredulously.

"Why shouldn't I have a job?" The Doctor asked, slightly offended at her surprise. "I'd be brilliant at having a job."

"You don't have a job," Clara teased, a smirk on her face.

"I do." The Doctor insisted, seeming to drop his brooding act in order to convince her that he had a job. "This is my job. I'm doing it now." He told her, the tone of his voice rising.

"You never have a job," Clara replied lightly, the smile still tugging at her lips.

"I do," the Doctor replied, lowering his voice to a whisper.

They stopped before a something large and covered in a large, beige blanket. At Kate's nod, the blanket was pulled off, revealing a detailed painting that Clara had never seen before. She advanced slowly, leaning forward. Her brain was disagreeing strongly with what her eyes were telling it. "That's not possible," Clara whispered.

"No more," the Doctor said, his voice low, from behind her.

"That's the title," Kate told him.

"I know the title," the Doctor snapped. Clara turned to look at him, about to ask him what was wrong, when she saw the look on his face. The slight smile he'd worn for their playful banter earlier gone from his face in an instant. His eyes seemed to glaze over and his face became drawn, tired, angry, and to Clara's surprise, she thought she saw a flicker of fear cross his expression.

"Also known as Gallifrey Falls." Kate continued, ignoring his rude response.

"This painting doesn't belong here. Not in this time or place," The Doctor said, his tone low and dangerous.

Clara let out a breath. "Obviously." She whispered.

"It's the fall of Arcadia, Gallifrey's second city." The Doctor told her, his voice so low he was almost whispering.

"But…" Clara blinked, looking between the Doctor and the painting. "How is it doing that? How is that possible? It's a oil painting…" she leaned forward again, "…in 3D."

"Time Lord art," The Doctor swallowed thickly and replied quietly, wanting to look away from the painting but finding himself unable to. "Bigger on the inside. A slice of real time…frozen."

The Doctor reached for Clara's hand, slowly wrapping his fingers around hers, carefully, as though afraid of rejection. She squeezed his hand tightly. "Are you okay?" She asked him quietly, looking at him with wide, concerned eyes.

"He was there." The Doctor murmured, feeling his hearts speed up in his chest and wishing desperately that Rose were by his side, comforting him, holding back the fear, fighting the darkness with him so that he could breathe. As it was, he could feel the darkness closing in on him, narrowing his vision. He could feel the hatred, the fatigue, the desperation of the Doctor that had been at Arcadia when it fell.

"Who was?" Clara asked, not understanding.

"Me," the Doctor whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from the painting. "The other me. The one I don't talk about."

Clara shook her hear slightly. "I don't understand." She whispered earnestly, clutching his hand tightly.

The Doctor was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "I've had many faces, many lives," he breathed, his voice a rumble in his throat, the first distant call of thunder in the distant, the first sign of the Storm approaching. "I don't admit to all of them. There's one life I've tried very hard to forget. He was the Doctor who fought in the Time War, and that was the day he did it. The day  _I_  did it. The day he killed them all. The last day of the Time War. The war to end all wars between my people and the Daleks. And in that battle there was a man with more blood on his hands than any other, a man who would commit a crime that would silence the universe. And that man was me."

* * *

Rose closed the back cover of Harry Potter with a satisfied sigh. Good old J.K., she thought fondly. She widely when the second book of the series was dropped on the coffee table in front of her with a  _thud_. As she reached to pick it up, she spotted something that made her eyes widen and she froze in her spot.

She stayed in that awkward position for several minutes because she inhaled sharply and stood, moving towards what had caught her eye slowly, cautiously.

"Well," she said when she was face to face with herself, "this is different."

The Rose that stood across from her, with a small, predatory smirk on her lips, leaned forward, a glint of madness sparkling in her eyes. She seemed to be a post-apocalyptic version of the current Rose, with wild, untamed hair, a ratty looking greenish-grey vest that hung off her shoulders, covering a well-torn woolen sweater. Her skirt looked more like a sheet that she'd wrapped once around her waist and cinched to the side, revealing brown, hole-filled leggings. Her boots have several straps, all of which seemed lazily and loosely tied, and the tops of the boots flopped down, showing their wear through the softness of the leather.

Rose frowned. "You're not me," she said quietly, regarding the replica of herself that was still staring at her with a look that reminded Rose of a hungry wolf. "You're not even the Bad Wolf, really," Rose realized, and the smirk on her copy crew.

"You're clever," it said to her, and though the voice sounded like Rose in practice, the copy spoke differently, with a more posh sounding accent that wasn't  _Rose_. "I'm glad I chose you."

"Who are you?" Rose asked, still frowning.

"Now, that is a question," her copy said, still smirking. "Perhaps the wrong one, though. I think the more accurate phrasing is  _what_  am I. And there isn't a simple answer for that, either." The copy wrinkled its nose. "You…you can call me…" she trailed off, her eyebrows creasing and lips pursing as she considered herself for a moment. "The Moment." She seemed to decide on.

"The Moment," Rose repeated. "Okay," she agreed. "So why is it that you look like me?"

The Moment said nothing for a few seconds, frowning at Rose. "You're important to him."

"Riiiiiight," Rose drawled, still not fully understanding what was happening. "So why did he need a copy of me?"

The Moment scoffed, "Because you're not there, obviously."

Rose felt her heart skip a beat and ice water shoot through her circulatory system. "Why am I not there?"

The Moment frowned. "Because he doesn't know you, yet."

This was just a confusing mess. "Then why does it matter if I'm important to him if he doesn't know me?" Rose asked, trying to make sense of what the Moment was telling her, or even who the moment was.

The Moment didn't seem to understand. "Because you're important to him, whether or not he knows you."

"O…kay." Rose frowned, rubbing her temple. "So  _what_  are you?"

The Moment shrugged. "I'm the Moment. I'm the consciousness of the most powerful weapon in the universe. The last work of the ancients of Gallifrey." She leaned forward until her nose was only an inch from Rose's. "The Galaxy Eater," she whispered, lingering on each syllable.

And Rose suddenly understood. She knew when the Moment was coming from,  _where_  it was coming from. She took a step back, watching the predatory smile come back to the Moment's face.

"You're from the day he –" Rose whispered, not even able to finish the phrase, choking on the last words.

"They day he kills them all," the Moment said, her tongue caressing the syllables as she spoke them. "Yes, that's when I'm coming from." The Moment regarded her seriously, taking in every inch of the real Rose, the real Bad Wolf. "I want to convince him not to," it said. "I don't want to kill them. You're the only one who can convince him not to." She finished, the smirk gone and replaced by a serious, pleading look. "Convince him not to."

And then Rose was alone.

Rose took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut and letting out the shaking breath she'd taken. Could she do it? Could she convince the Doctor not to kill them? To save his people? How would that even work? She looked down at her hands and found they were shaking. She had to steady herself.

* * *

_Time Lords of Gallifrey, Daleks of Skaro, I serve notice on you all. Too long I have stayed my hand._

_No more._

_Today you leave me no choice. Today, this war will end._

_No more._

_No more._

The Doctor entered the old barn and carefully latched the door shut behind him, the sack he was carrying over his shoulder weighing him down. He was relieved when he finally set it down, unwrapping the burlap sack and revealing a clever little box covered in gears. He ran his fingers over the weapon cautiously, jumping when gears started to turn at his touch. "How do you work?" He murmured to himself, turning the box over carefully. "Why is there never a big red button?"

Noise from outside drew his attention away form the box. There couldn't be anyone here. That's why he'd chosen this isolated desert. There was no one, no living creature, anywhere near him. Quietly, he got to his feet and went to the door, unlatching it and sticking his head outside to find the source of the scurrying he was certain he'd heard. "Hello?" He called into the vast emptiness. "Is there anybody there?"

"It's nothing," A calm voice from behind him made him jump. He whirls around to see a young woman sitting on the Moment. "It's just a wolf," she continued, and in the back of his mind, he felt a howling that sent shivers down his spine.

"Don't sit on that!" He hissed, rushing towards her, grabbing her arm and pulling her off the box. She was rather pretty, though her blonde hair was a tangled mess and her clothes were in tatters and ripped shreds.

"Why not?" She asked, seeming slightly alarmed at his panic.

"Because it's not a chair, it's the most dangerous weapon in the universe!" he dragged her by the arm by the door, giving her a quick shove and latching the door behind her. He leaned heavily on the door, trying to regulate his breathing.

"Why can't it be both?" Her calm voice asked, and he turned to see her sitting on the box again, elbows on her legs and leaning forward, watching him with a curiosity that he hadn't seen for years. At his wide-eyed stare, she sat up straighter, as though she was just as surprised to see him as he was to see her. He said nothing, simply continuing to stare at this mystery woman who'd appeared out of nowhere. "Why'd you park so far away?" She asked him softly, meeting his gaze with honey-hazel eyes that felt like they should have been warm, but instead seem to watch him with a hard, predatory glint. "Didn't you want her to see it?" She whispered, leaning forward and watching him intently.

The Doctor frowned, his chin lifting slightly as he regarded her. "Want who to see?" He asked carefully.

"The Taaaardiiiiisss," she replied, still whispering, each syllable held on her tongue for an extra second before she let it go, her lips pulling into a raptorial smile. When he said nothing, she agilely jumped up from the box. "You walked for miles," she observed casually, pacing around the room, "and miles, and miles, and miles, and miles…"

"I was thinking," the Doctor interrupted, irritated with this mysterious woman.

She turned on her heel, smile gone from her face. "I heard you," she said, her voice low.

"You heard me?" He repeated, regarding her curiously.

"No more," she said slowly, her voice still so low it might as well have been a growl. The Doctor frowned and turned his head away from her slightly, watching her through the corner of his eye. "No more," she repeated, her voice slightly lighter, the words coming out quicker, and she twisted her hips, her arms moving slightly at her side, amusement somehow finding its way into her tone. "No more, no more, no more," she seemed to gain more force as she marched forward, swinging her arms.

"Stop it!" He snapped angrily.

She looked at him with that predatory gaze again. "No more." She said again, saying them again once more out of spite.

"Who are you?" He whispered, watching her carefully.

She said nothing, instead allowing her lips to pull into a dangerous smirk, and the gears on the Moment began to turn, distracting him from the strange woman. "It's activating," he said, walking towards the box. "Get out of here." He warned her. He might not know who or what she was, but he would be damned if she was in the room when he destroyed them all.

He didn't see her eyes flash gold behind his back, but when he reached out to check on the Moment he pulled away immediately, hissing in pain as the scalding hot machine burned his skin.

"What's wrong?" She asked casually.

"The interface," he said without looking at her, keeping his eyes on the Galaxy Eater, "it's hot."

She'd moved to a table next to the wall of the hut, perching herself on it so that she could swing her feet freely. "Well, I do my best," she replied flirtatiously, tucking her chin into her shoulder and smiling.

"There's a power source inside," the Doctor continued as if he hadn't heard her, kneeling in front of the box. He froze then, because he realized the truth. Slowly, he turned to look at the apocalyptic blonde woman swinging her feet while she sat on the table, patiently waiting for him to address her. " _You're_  the interface?" He said incredulously. Whatever he'd been expecting as the conscience of the Moment, it had not been a young, human-looking, flirtatious, blonde woman dressed in torn rags, casually swinging her feet back and forth.

"They must have told you the Moment had a conscience," she told him, amusement in her tone. As he regarded her through his frown, she smiled widely and brought up her hand to give him a little wave, "hello," she said happily, almost bashfully, as she continued to smile at him, chin tucked in her shoulder. "Oh, look at you." She said affectionately. "Stuck between a girl and a box. Story of your life, eh, Doctor?" She grinned, her voice light.

He frowned. "You know me?"

She stood suddenly, all traces of the smile gone from her beautiful face in an instant. "I  _hear_  you," she corrected. "All of you, jangling around in that dusty old head of yours." When he said nothing, she continued, looking down at herself and running her hands over her stomach and arms. "I chose this face and form especially for you," She said, looking at him earnestly but seeing not recollection. "It's from your past," she insisted, before she stopped and frowned, thinking back to the conversation she'd had with the celver blonde girl in the clever ship and the clever bigger-on-the-inside brain.  _Why does it matter if I'm important to him if he doesn't know me?_  "Or possibly your future, I always get those two mixed up."

"I don't have a future," he said honestly, though she paid him no mind.

"I think I'm called –" she stumbled over the name, as though her tongue struggled to make the sounds. "Rose Tyler." She said, a frown on her face and a decidedly confused look in her eyes. "No…yes…no…sorry, no, no, in this form, I'm called –" she stopped again, her eyes widening as she turned her gaze on him as though she'd only just realized who she was. "Bad Wolf," she said, and the words echoed through his mind like a warning…or, perhaps, a promise? Her eyes flared gold, radiating power and time, and her face became emotionless. "Are you afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, Doctor?" She asked, her voice low.

"Stop calling me that," he said instead of answering.

"That's the name in your head," she said in the same low voice.

"It shouldn't be," he was ashamed of how weak his voice sounded. "I've been fighting this war for a long time. I've lost the right to be the Doctor."

She stared at him for a moment. "Then you're the one to save us all?" She whispered.

"Yes."

Her eyebrows rose. "If I ever develop an ego, you've got the job," she promised him sarcastically.

He stood from where he'd been kneeling next to the box and walked forward until they were face to face. "If you have been inside my head, then you know what I've seen." He said, quietly and dangerously. "The suffering. Every moment in time and space is burning. It must end, and I intend to en it the only way I can," he promised.

She watched him with sad eyes. "And you're going to use me to end it, by killing them all. Daleks and Time Lords alike." He turned his back on her as she spoke. "I could," she said thinly. "But there will be consequences for you."

He let out a breath of air. "I have no desire to survive this," he told her honestly, his back still to her. He carefully stepped forward and lightly sat on an old box or stool that had been left in the hut, not surprised to see that she had materialized to sit on the one next to it, her back hunched and her eyes hollow.

"Then that's your punishment," she said quietly as he said. Colour drained from his face when he realized what she meant, fear dancing in his core, where it had made a permanent home during the Time War. "If you do this. If you  _kill_  them all," she promised in a voice that was barely more than a whisper, "then that's the consequence." She turned to look at him. "You  _live_." Her promise burned like fire in his core. She looked away from him, turning her eyes forward, and they glazed over slightly as she looked into nothing. "Gallifrey," she said quietly, and he wondered if she could see the planet in her mind's eye. "You're going to burn it, and all those Daleks with it, but all those children, too. How many children are on Gallifrey right now?"

He refused to think about it. "I don't know." He told her drily, thinly. He couldn't mask the horror that washed over his face.

"One day," she promised quietly, "you will count them. One terrible night. Do you want to see what that will turn you into?" she slid close to him, and he could feel her breath on his neck, raising Goosebumps. When he said nothing, she nudged him with her shoulder. "Come on," she encouraged. "Aren't you curious?"

With those words, a swirling vortex opened in front of them, bathing them in golden light and blowing cold winds at them. She squinted as she looked directly into it. "I'm opening windows on your future." She told him. "A tangle in time thought the days to come, to the man today will make you." As she finished speaking, a red fez dropped out of the portal and onto the floor of the hut. "Okay, I wasn't expecting that," she said honestly, a frown on her face but amusement lacing her tone.

* * *

The phone ringing made Rose jump, and she glared at the offending item before answering it. "Hello?"

"Rose, he's jumped into some sort of gold vortex," Clara whined on the other end of the line, and Rose let out a bark of laughter at her tone. The Doctor had obviously not warned her before jumping into some vortex and landing, hopefully, somewhere on earth at a different time.

"Don't worry, Clara, he can look after himself," Rose said calmly, wondering to herself if this had anything to do with the Moment that she'd met earlier. "I have to run a quick errand," she realized suddenly, "I have a friend who can lend me something so that if anything happens I can be there in a second."

"Isn't that what the TARDIS is for?" Clara asked, confused.

Rose smiled at the ship and patted the console affectionately. "If the Doctor is jumping through random vortexes that are magically appearing out of nowhere, then it's always handy to have a backup." She told her friend. She confirmed that Clara was all right before hanging up, moving around the console. "Okay, dear," she whispered to the time-and-space ship. "Sorry about this, I know you're not a big fan.

The TARDIS grumbled in her mind, displeased with the trip but knowing it was necessary.

* * *

In 1562, the Doctor watched in shock as a time fissure opened up in the sky, a swirling gold vortex. He watched it with wide eyes. "That's a time fissure." He explained out loud, unsure of whether or not he was really explaining it to the two Elizabeths or just trying to convince himself that it was really happening. "A tear in the fabric of reality! Anything could happen!" A second later, a bright red fez dropped from the vortex, hitting the ground with a soft  _plop_. "For instance…a fez," the Doctor continued, blinking at it in surprise.

He bent down to pick up the item when a much bigger something fell through the time fissure, falling on the ground with a grumbled, " _Ouf!"_ with him on the ground, the time fissure disappeared.

The Doctor straightened up, slipping the fez onto his head while he turned his attention to the man who had just fallen out of the sky. He stood easily, brushing dirt and dried leaves from his purple frock coat and black trousers before purposefully straightening his bowtie.

"Who is the man?" Elizabeth demanded, her voice shrill with fear and confusion.

"That's just what I was wondering," the Doctor said, more to himself than to the queen, as he regarded the strange man, who looked him over before frowning and looking down to see himself.

"Oh, that is skinny." He muttered, turning sideways and looking between himself and the Doctor as though comparing. "That is proper skinny!" he advanced on the Doctor, who was unable to do anything but look at the strange man with a deep frown on his expressive eyebrows. "I've never seen it from the outside. It's like a special effect!" He was very close to the Doctor now, and there was a loud sort of  _feeling_  at the back of hi mind that was familiar, oh, so familiar. "Oi!" the strange, purple-man said jovially, swiping his hand around to knock the fez on the Doctor's head. "Ha! Matchstick man!" He grinned widely at the Doctor, mirroring his movements with a cocky grin on his lips.

"…You're not…" the Doctor realized suddenly, the answer dawning on him quickly. This man was  _him_ , and not one that he recognized. A future  _him_! He reached slowly into his jacket pocket, watching as the other man mimicked his every movement. He pulled out his tool and turned it on, watching as he next self pulled out his own screwdriver, a larger, new model, and turned it on with a flick of his wrist and a cocky grin. The tenth Doctor regarded the new screwdriver with thinly veiled jealousy. He met eyes with the other Doctor with a wicked glint in his eyes. "Compensating?" he asked drily.

"For what?" The eleventh Doctor said incredulously.

The tenth Doctor shrugged casually. "Regeneration. It's a lottery."

Both Doctors tossed their screwdrivers in the air at the same time, mirror images of each other, before they both tucked the tools in their respective pockets. "Oh, he's cool. Isn't he cool," the bowtie'd Doctor said sarcastically. "I'm the Doctor and I'm all cool," he spun his arms widely before pointing at the suited Doctor's feet. "Oops, I'm wearing  _sandshoes_!"

"What are you doing here?" The suited Doctor demanded suddenly. "I'm busy."

The Doctor in the bowtie grinned widely, picking up the fez that had been knocked to the ground. "Ooooooh, busy." He said with a smirk, "I see. Is that what we're calling it, eh? Eh?" He grinned and slipped the fez onto his head and bowed deeply to the two Elizabeths. "Hello, ladies," he said flirtatiously.

"Don't start," the suited Doctor moaned, suddenly feeling as though he were dealing with a certain randy Captain.

The eleventh Doctor smirked at the tenth. "Listen, whatever you get up to in the privacy of your own regeneration is your business," he muttered with a shrug.

The tenth Doctor leaned in close. "One of them is a Zygon." He told his next self seriously.

The eleventh Doctor scrunched his nose. "Eeeewww…" he met his previous self's annoyed gaze and held up his hands, the picture of innocence. "I'm not judging you."

The time fissure opened again, drawing the attention of both Doctors. Without noticing, both pulled out their spectacles to get a better look at the vortex. As they exchanged a look, both planning to talk first, they noticed the other's specs and complimented each other genuinely, both voices raising several octaves in pitch as they did so. Quite quickly, his demeanor changing in a flash, the eleventh Doctor pulled off his spectacles and turned to the queen…s.

"Your majesties," he said with a quick and shallow bow. "Probably a good time to run."

"But what about the creature?" Both Elizabeths asked at the same time.

The tenth Doctor turned away from the time fissure. "Elizabeth! Whichever one of you is the real one, turn and run in the opposite direction to the other one," he ordered seriously, demonstrating with his hands.

With two kisses and two vows of love, each Elizabeth took off, heading in opposite directions. The Doctor in the bowtie regarded the other, a squeamish look on his face. "One of those was a Zygon?" He clarified.

"Yeah."

"Big red rubbery thing, covered in suckers?" He asked again.

"Yeah."

"Venom sacs in the tongue?"

"Yeah, I'm getting the point, thank you," the suited Doctor snapped, shooting his older self an annoyed look.

"Nice," the eleventh Doctor said with a nod.

"Doctor, is that you?" Clara called through the vortex.

"Ah! Hello, Clara! Can you hear me?" the eleventh Doctor called loudly.

"Yeah, it's me, we can hear you. Where are you?"

The Doctor turned to his younger self. "Where are we?" He asked, only realizing now that he had no idea when or where they were other than in England at some point during Queen Elizabeth the First's reign.

"England, 1562," the suited Doctor called for him.

"Who are you talking to?" Clara asked, her voice echoing slightly.

"Myself," both Doctors said together, exchanging a wide grin at the answer.

"Doctor, I called R –" Clara stopped herself. She suddenly realized she had no idea if this younger Doctor should know that Rose was around or not. Better not risk it, she decided. "I called our other friend when you jumped through the vortex thing." She informed the Doctor.

"Oh," the elder Doctor said sheepishly wringing his hands and ignoring the curious look from the tenth Doctor. "I'm in for a scolding later, aren't I?" He asked Clara.

"Think so, yeah." Clara replied drily, making the elder Doctor groan.

"Is she with you now?" He called.

"No, she said she had to run an errand."

"An errand?" the Doctor repeated, a confused look crossing his face.

"Can you come back through?" that was Kate's voice.

"Physical passage may not be possible in both directions…Ah!" he stopped excitedly. "Hang on," he pulled the fez off his head. "Fez incoming!" he shouted before tossing the thing into the swirl of time above them.

Clara waited a few seconds before responded. "Nothing here," she told the Doctors.

The tenth Doctor's eyebrows pulled into a frown. "So where did it go?" He wondered aloud.

They starred at the fissure for a few seconds before the younger Doctor crossed his arms over his chest, rolling between the balls and hells of his feet. "Okay," he said casually. "You used to be me. You've done all this before. What happens next?"

"I don't remember," the older Doctor said truthfully, his voice dry.

The suited Doctor gave him an annoyed look, sticking his tongue in his cheek and looking between the other Doctor and the vortex. "How can you forget  _this_ ," he asked, using his finger to indicate the both of them.

The older Doctor looked affronted at the accusation. "Hang on, it's not my fault! You're obviously not paying enough attention! Reverse the polarity!"

Both Doctors pulled out their screwdrivers and pointed them at the vortex, switching them on. "It's not working," the older Doctor said unnecessarily.

"We're both reversing the polarity," the tenth Doctor explained scathingly.

"Yes, I know that!" the eleventh Doctor retorted.

"There's two of us. I'm reversing it, you're reversing it back again. We're confusing the polarity!"

Before they could get into an argument, another man came through the fissure, a man with a tired looking face and a beaten, worn down jacket. "Anyone lose a fez?" he asked pleasantly, holding up the bright red hat.

"You," the tenth Doctor said, his eyes wide as he regarded the man in front of him, the man he'd hoped to never see again. "How can you be here? More to the point,  _why_  are you here?"

The War Doctor smiled thinly, putting his hands behind his back and settling comfortably. "Good afternoon," he said, looking at each one. The tenth and eleventh Doctors shared a confused and worried look. "I'm looking for the Doctor."

"Well," the tenth Doctor drawled when the other Doctor didn't say anything at all, simply staring at the War Doctor. "You've certainly come to the right place."

"Good," the younger-older man replied, smiling. "Right. Well, who are you boys?" He looked between the two of them, taking them in and trying to identify who they were to him. Both young looking Doctors deep breaths, their eyes meeting briefly before they both looked away. "Oh, of course. Are you his companions?"

It was then than the bowtie'd Doctor broke his silence. "His companions?" He sputtered out incredulously as the tenth Doctor filled his cheeks with air and blew them out slowly.

"They get younger all the time," the War Doctor chuckled, clearly reminiscing. "Well, if you could point me in the general direction of the Doctor…" he looked expectantly between the two of them.

The bowtie'd Doctor and the suited Doctor reached into their jacket pockets, pulling at their respective sonic screwdrivers and switching them on, watching realization dawn on the War Doctor's face. "Really?" He asked.

"Really," the eleventh Doctor said, a tired look on his face.

"Yeah," the tenth said at the same time, his voice unusually quiet.

"You're me?" The War Doctor said, as though he didn't quite believe it. "Both of you?"

"Yu _p_." The tenth Doctor habitually popped the 'p' on the short word, and the eleventh Doctor's mind flitted briefly to Rose. He wondered what her errand had been? Why wasn't she here in the first place? Didn't she want to see his tenth self? He knew she'd missed him.

The War Doctor turned his shoulders slightly so that he faced the suited Doctor, turning his back to the floppy-haired one. "Even that one?" He asked the tenth Doctor worriedly.

The eleventh Doctor felt annoyance pierce through his thoughts. "Yes!" He insisted, his voice raising several octaves in pitch.

"You're my future selves?" The War Doctor demanded, and the tenth and eleventh Doctors shared an annoyed glance.

"Yes," they insisted together.

"Am I having a midlife crisis?" the War Doctor demanded, stepping forward and blinking in confusion when they both stepped back, holding up their screwdrivers like weapons. "Why are you pointing your screwdrivers like that? They're scientific instruments, not water pistols!" He told them irritably, already feeling like a sort of father figure in the bunch and not liking it one bit. "You look like you've seen a ghost," he said when they brought the screwdrivers down.

"Still, loving the posh gravelly thing." The tenth Doctor said bitterly. "It's very convincing."

Their reunion was halted when several soldiers appeared out of nowhere, surrounding them and on the hunt for the Doctor's head. Well, as the War Doctor put it, it certainly was their lucky day.

* * *

They were unceremoniously tossed into a large, empty cell in the Tower of London. The oldest Doctor found an old nail on the ground almost immediately. He picked it up, flicking it with his nail, and grinned widely as the ringing that ensued.

"Three of us in one cell?" The tenth Doctor spoke lightly, tucking his hands in his trouser pockets, "that's going to cause of nasty anomalies if we don't get out soon." While the War Doctor used his sonic to scan the door, the tenth looked at the eldest of them, scratching on the stone column with the nail he'd found. "What are you doing?"

The eleventh Doctor turned to look at his predecessor. "Getting us out," he replied, as though it were the simplest thing in the world and turning back to his work.

The tenth Doctor rolled his eyes at his own folly. Was that look what Rose had meant when she said he looked at her like she'd just dribbled on her shirt?

Refusing to let himself be overwhelmed by thoughts of his former companion, he turned to see the old, leather coated version of himself scanning the door. "The sonic won't work on that, it's too primitive." He told himself (blimey, this was complicated).

Eleven stopped his scratching and turned to face them, an irritated smile on his face. "Shall we ask for a better quality of door, so we can escape?" He asked mildly.

The tenth Doctor paced the room as the eleventh returned to his etching. "Okay, so," he started. "The queen of England is now a Zygon," He looked at his younger self, who was regarding him with raised eyebrows. "Never mind that, why are we all together? Why are we all here?" His gaze didn't stray from his younger self's for a second. "Me and….and….Chinny, we were surprised, but you came looking for us." He said seriously. "You knew it was going to happen. Who told you?"

"Oi," the eldest Doctor complained from behind him, and the tenth Doctor turned to regard him with and earnest face. "Chinny?" The one with the floppy hair repeated, looking mildly insulted.

Both Doctors missed the way the youngest's eyes locked on to a woman who wasn't actually there, a finger on her lips.

"Yeah, you do have a chin." The tenth Doctor said honestly.

* * *

Clara was being led through the dark halls of the Tower of London by Kate. Discretely, she pulled out her mobile and sent out a quick text to Rose's.

_Something about zygons?_

* * *

Rose was sitting in a comfortable chair in Jack's office when she received the text. She choked on the sip of tea she'd just taken, and Jack was looking at her with concern, wondering what she'd just read.

It must have been important, Jack mused, to send Rose running at the speed she did.

Which meant one thing and one thing only.

She was going to save the Doctor.

(Again).

* * *

As Kate began to morph into a Zygon right in front of her, Clara quickly grabbed the vortex manipulator, typing in the numbers she could see on the screen of Kate's phone. She hit the final button just as the Zygons turned to look at her, disappearing with a quick grin.

She landed with a jolt and steadied herself against the concrete walls of the hall she was in. From further down the hall, she could hear three voices talking indistinctly, and on a gut instinct, she followed the voices, picking up speed until she was running. She pushed the door open and stumbled into a large room, and three pairs of eyes turned and landed on her instantly, making her cheeks redden.

"How did you do that?" The Doctor she recognized asked her intently.

"Wasn't locked," she answered easily.

"Right," he said, looking slightly stupefied.

"So they're both you, then, yeah?" Clara asked her Doctor.

"Yes," he told her. "You've met them before. Don't you remember?"

Clara shrugged. "A bit." She blinked for a second, frowning and looking out the door and something none of the Doctors could see. And quite suddenly, all the tension was gone form her shoulders and she grinned. She snuck a quick look at the tenth Doctor and then leaned her head out of the room. "You weren't kidding about the hair!" She called.

The three Doctor exchanged a confused look.

A voice echoed from the hall, making its way into the room holding the Doctors and earning mixed reactions from each of them. "For someone who is always insisting that I meddle with history too much, this really, really takes the cake, doesn't it?" She arrived at the doorway and grinned, at them, her arms crossed over her chest and the Rose Tyler, tongue-in-teeth grin that she did on her lips. "I leave you on your own for a few hours and when I find you again, you've married  _the virgin queen_. Well done," she finished with an eye roll, the smile still on her lips as she leaned against the doorframe.

"Thanks for coming," Clara smiled at Rose. As much as she trusted the Doctor, she tended to lean towards Rose when it came to quick problem solving that wouldn't get them in too much trouble. Or at least, less trouble than the Doctor got them into. She also depended on Rose for explanations when the Doctor went off on his rants.

"Of course," Rose replied with a wink at Clara. " _Someone_  has to not leave the companions with a bunch of Zygons," she raised an eyebrow at their current Doctor, as though to say _what on earth were you thinking?_

"Hello, sweetheart," the Doctor with the floppy brown hair said enthusiastically, ignoring her reprimands and coming forward to pull her into a tight hug. He felt as though he hadn't seen her in ages, when in reality it had only been a little over 4 hours since he'd seen her last. He pulled away and pressed a kiss to her lips. It was sort and sweet, and lasted a little too long, because the tenth Doctor, standing only a few feet away from them, made some sort of whiny, growling,  _guh_ in the back of his throat.

It wasn't loud, but it was enough for the Doctor to pull away from her, a sheepish look of apology on his face. As his gaze slipped downwards, he caught sight of a displeasing bit of technology on her wrist. He grabbed it and brought it up to eye level, looking insulted at the very sight of it. "Really, Rose?" He whined. "I leave you with a time-and-spaceship at your disposal, and you use a cheap bit of Time Agency technology?"

Rose grinned at him. "Did you really want me to plop the TARDIS down in a cell in the Tower of London?" She shrugged. "Besides," she added, amusement twinkling in her eyes, "why not extend this lovely reunion for as long as possible?" The Doctor who was still gripping her wrist let out an annoyed sort of grunt, and the one with the great hair let out a not-so-subtle cough, drawing her attention.

Rose looked away from her Doctor for the first time and allowed her eyes to drift where they so badly wanted to.

The suited Doctor was standing rigid, shoulders straight, hands balled into tight fists. His eyes were trained on her and her alone. Her warm, hazel eyes met a hard and guarded chocolate brown, making her inhale sharply. She loved the current Doctor's shining green eyes, but this Doctor's eyes…she shivered slightly under his gaze. She stepped forward until they were no more than two feet apart. As she moved, she kept her eyes locked on his, and she saw the panic flare behind the harsh shields as she got too close.

The Doctor regarded Rose with something like fear. He remembered, very clearly, dropping his blonde companion off in the parallel universe with a human clone of himself. He remembered making sure the walls between the universes were sealed before doing his best to push all thoughts of Rose from his mind. He remembered the regrets, the  _what ifs_ , and the pain.

"Hello," she whispered, ignoring the tears that were building in her eyes. This man. This mad man who had been her best friend, her love, and her husband. He'd been the alien who'd never had to face the consequences, who seemed to never notice when he hurt her, and the human that had held her while she cried, no matter how hard she pushed against him, the one who knew right away when something was wrong, the who'd do anything to fix his mistakes. He was frightening, maddening change and warm, comfortable stability. From the moment he'd been born he'd had her heart, and, her human Doctor told her, she his.

"Hello," he said back, the word sticking to his throat and tongue and cracking as it finally left his mouth. Oh, he wanted to reach out to her, to hug her, to hold her, to have her in his arms again. But if she wasn't real, if she was some kind of illusion, he knew he wouldn't be able to handle the pain of losing her a third time. The last he'd seen of her, she'd had the lapels of his blue suit jacket fisted in her palms. She'd been insistently pressing her lips against his but it wasn't him and he felt a pang at the memory that was still sharp in his mind.

As he thought of the blue lapels in her hands, her hand hesitantly reached up, her eyes locked on his for any sign from him, any at all, that he didn't want her to touch him, and her fingers pressed softly against the lapels of his suit jacket. He let out a sharp breath when her very  _real_  fingers pressed against his chest. She stroked the fabric softly with her sensitive fingertips. A soft smile grew on her lips, and tears welled in her eyes. She blinked them away. "I missed the brown," she whispered honestly, letting out a breathy chuckle.

He reached his arm forward and carefully brushed a lock of hair from her face, "I've missed  _you_." He told her honestly, and Rose could see tears in his eyes. He cupped her face gently, running his finger over her cheekbone and down her jaw. "You came back." He breathed, disbelief evident in his tone. In one quick movement, his arms had swept around her and held her in a tight hug, pressing their bodies together and tucking his head between her head and shoulder, face against her neck. She was soft and warm against him, her steady heartbeat beating out a familiar rhythm that he felt he would always know was  _Rose_ , distinguishable from any other human heartbeat. She smelled like she always had; a wonderful mix of strawberries and vanilla and time, and he breathed in her comforting scent gratefully. He didn't know how long it had been since she'd seen him last, nor did he know how she was here now, but though the thoughts were at the forefront of his mind, demanding he understand what was happening, he could not bring himself to question her presence. For all he knew she could disappear in a moment, and he couldn't waste any time he'd been given.

Rose wrapped her own arms around his neck, running her fingers through his wonderfully soft hair. "I will  _always_  come back," she murmured into his ear, smiling when his grip around her waist tightened. It was several minutes before the Doctor pulled away slightly, leaving one arm around her waist to gently cup her face. He felt thrill go through his system when she leaned into his hand, pressing her warm cheek against his palm. "I promised you forever. I keep my promises."

"What am I missing?" The War Doctor asked to no one in particular, though Clara and the eldest Doctor were on either side of him. Clara glanced quickly at her Doctor and noticed the change in his demeanour, the one she only felt from him when Rose as around. His shoulders were straighter, lighter almost, and he seemed less beaten, less defeated, as though he now had someone who knew his pain and could actually take it onto themselves, making his load lighter to bear. His eyes were guarded but he was smiling slightly as he looked Rose and the younger Doctor, reunited at last.

"Everything," The Eleventh Doctor said, uncharacteristically quiet. "It'll happen to you later." As he watched Rose and his last self reunite after centuries for her and decades for him, and felt a twinge of jealousy, followed by a wave of guilt. He couldn't begrudge Rose for being happy to see him. After all, he had been  _her_  Doctor for so long, it was a wonder she didn't resent his current self. He felt a warm, tingling gratefulness towards Rose, knowing that to her it didn't matter that his face changed or his personality changed or that his sense of style changed. All that mattered for her was that he wanted her there, and  _oh,_  did he ever want her with him. He couldn't imagine a world or a Doctor that wouldn't. Even the War Doctor, not knowing her, seemed fascinated by her, drawn in to her. Clara moved from her spot near the War Doctor and stopped beside her Doctor, taking his hand and giving it a tight squeeze. He didn't look at her, barely even acknowledging her save for wrapping his fingers around her hand, but she could feel gratefulness from him, and that was enough.

"You," The War Doctor said suddenly, frowning and pointing at Rose. Rose turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow, removing her arms from the tenth Doctor's neck (to his dismay) and instead taking a hand in hers, sending a wave of comfort through her telepathic touch and earning a lock of shock, confusion, and awe from the suited Doctor. He squeezed her hand, though she seemed to have completely directed her attention to the youngest Doctor. "You're the Bad Wolf girl," the man in question said, noticing how his future selves tensed at the name, looking away from him.

"Yes, I am," Rose responded easily, unbothered by her godly title that was more a part of her changed mind than anyone else. "You know me?" She asked, her tone still casual, "Because I am absolutely certain that you and I haven't met."

"No, I – " The War Doctor began, struggling to explain how he knew who she was.

Suddenly, beside the War Doctor, a new figured appeared. Her hair was wild and her clothes were worn and torn beyond belief, as though she'd just stepped out of an apocalyptic world. She had a cheeky grin on her full lips, and there was a glint her hazel eyes. "Ah," Rose said quietly, a small smile on her lips as she understood where the unfamiliar Doctor had seen her before.

"What?" the two older Doctors asked her at the same time, looking at her and then at each other.

"Hang on," Clara interrupted, frowning as she looked over at the three Doctors. "Three of you in one cell, and none of you thought to try the door?"

Rose grinned, nudging the suited Doctor with her shoulder and grinning up at him. He met her gaze and smiled sheepishly, somewhat embarrassed at the situation but not really caring because he was holding  _Rose Tyler's_  hand and she was giving that  _Rose Tyler_  smile, with her tongue peeking through her teeth and  _god_  he couldn't believe she was really there.

When he thought about it,  _really_ thought about it. He didn't know why he was so surprised. She had always proved him wrong.

_I'll have to sacrifice Rose…_

_If I kill you…I kill her…except that implies, in this big grand scheme of gods and devils, that she's just a victim. But I've seen a lot of this universe. I've seen fake gods and bad gods and demigods and would-be gods. And out of all that, out of that whole pantheon, if I believe in one thing, just one thing…I believe in_ her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more after this, folks! Hope you're enjoying reading as much as I enjoyed writing!


	5. A Single Moment: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second half of the events of the 50th. Plus Rose!

"It should have been locked," the War Doctor replied gruffly, hiding his embarrassment.

"Yes, exactly. Why wasn't it locked?" the current Doctor wondered allowed, exchanging a confused look with the tenth Doctor, who was still hanging on to Rose's hand with a desperation that she hadn't felt since her return to the universe.

Both, actually.

"Because I was fascinated to see what you would do upon escaping," another voice spoke, a voice that made Rose frown because certainly it couldn't be…" _Rose?"_  Queen Elizabeth interrupted herself, stopping at the door of the cell. She was wearing a heavy-looking gold dress that dragged along the floor of the cell, and Rose wondered idly why women wore dresses so long that they dirtied themselves immediately.

The three Doctors and Clara were looking between the queen and the blonde companion in shock, expressions of confusion and wonder varying between the four of them.

"Elizabeth," Rose greeted, blinking in surprise. She should have realized, she told herself, when she set the coordinates on the vortex manipulator, that she might encounter the queen, especially since she set the coordinates to the Tower of London, and 1562 was the first few years of Elizabeth's reign. She swore loudly in her mind, making the Doctor who was still holding her hand look at her reproachfully, if not still a little surprised, because he still didn't understand how his young human companion was telepathic.

Oh, this was just a whole mess of timeliness.

Elizabeth approached carefully, a distrusting frown on her pale face. "You must be one of the creatures, because I know for a fact that my dear friend Rose left England several years ago. So, creature, reveal yourself." She said threateningly, holding her head high as she advanced on Rose and the tenth Doctor, her head held high. "And you, Doctor, how easily you fall for the creature's game." She sniffed, seemingly disappointed and annoyed all at once.

"Elizabeth, it's really me," Rose said, a tentative smile on her face as she looked at the queen. "I'm really here. I came back."

"Lady Rose, it is really you?" Elizabeth said cautiously. "I shall not believe it."

"We danced," Rose quickly with a smile. "On the day of your coronation, we danced." Elizabeth's mouth popped open in un-queenly surprise, the Doctors all shared a look of mutual confusion, and Clara was struggling not to smile. "We were both wearing our dresses, you in your beautiful gold coronation robes…"

"And you in that deep blue gown." Elizabeth interrupted with a smile. "In fact, the same blue as the box that is out in the courtyard, I believe." Rose grinned as Elizabeth surged forward, wrapping her arms around Rose tightly, a hug that Rose returned as best she could with one arm, because the Doctor was still tightly holding her other hand. "I've missed you, dear Rose!"

"I've missed you too, Elizabeth," Rose said, a small smile on her face.

"Sorry, hi, yes," The tenth Doctor interrupted, his voice soft and slightly hesitant, "Could we maybe deal with the Zygon problem first and do the reunions later?"

Elizabeth let go of Rose, a sheepish look on her face. "Of course. Follow me, please," Her eyes darted down to where the tenth Doctor was still clutching Rose's hand, and something Rose didn't recognize flashed in her eyes. As she turned to lead them out of the cell, the eleventh Doctor shot Rose a questioning glance.

She made a flapping motion with her free hand, indicating that he should follow the queen. When he lifted his eyebrows at her, looking between her and the queen almost comically, she smiled affectionately and nodded her head. With a final frown he followed the queen out, the War Doctor, Clara, the tenth Doctor, and Rose on his tail.

"Elizabeth the first?" The tenth Doctor whispered to her as they walked, a single eyebrow arching on his forehead.

"I could say the same to you," Rose replied mischievously, feeling a wave of poorly hidden embarrassment from the suited Doctor through their skin-to-skin contact. She sent back a warm affection that made his cheeks redden and he looked at her in shock. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand before turning her attention back to the other members of their group.

"Where are you taking us?" The eleventh Doctor was asking Elizabeth, who was walking quickly and stoically through the dark, damp halls of the Tower of London. The group could do little but follow, and though he didn't speak to her, the bowtie donning, fez-wearing Doctor shot Rose several looks, his eyes flicking between her and the Doctor who was still holding her hand. She shot him a Rose Tyler grin, tongue out and all in an effort to appease him.

She'd desperately missed the Doctor whose hand she held. She'd missed his warm brown eyes, his gravity-defying hair, his snug suit, and the cocky grin that made his eyes shine. She'd missed the feeling of his hand in hers and the way he casually swung their hands between them.

Elizabeth opened a large, heavy looking door and smirked at the eleventh Doctor, who now had a very dark, angry look that Rose recognized and very much did not like. She knew the look and knew that the Doctor was angry.

Very angry.

Oh, how he didn't like being blindly led.

"Be right back," she promised the suited Doctor quietly before letting go of his hand, feeling rush of panicked fear make its way through the telepathic connection that made her knees buckle. She turned to him and cupped his cheek softly, sending warm calm and reassurance before turning and making her way to her current Doctor, who was currently slouching heavily, his eyes dark, and ignoring Clara's attempts at reassurance. She pushed her way to his side, placing her hand on his shoulder so he would turn to face her. When he did, she cupped his face with both her hands pressing a light kiss to his cheek before pulling him into a hug.

"I don't like this," he told her quietly, taking comfort in her warm presence. He knew that she could feel his nervousness through their telepathic connection, but he found that he didn't care. He'd stopped trying to hide his feelings from her a long time ago, knowing that it hurt her more than anything when she inevitably found out.

"I know," she whispered back, giving him a quick squeeze before releasing him. The War Doctor watched with interest as she comforted both Doctors easily. He looked at her intently from beneath frowning eyebrows.

Elizabeth cleared her throat ostentatiously, a smirk that managed to be both annoyed and curious on her lips. "If we might?" She said primly, lifting her eyebrows and looking between the two of them.

Rose smiled at Elizabeth and gave the Doctor a shove, forcing him to the front of the troop. They ended up in another sort of dungeon, this one filled with angry Zygons in their proper form – all red and rubbery and covered in suckers, and Rose felt her lips pulled back in an involuntary snarl. Her current Doctor placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. The Bad Wolf snapped angrily in her mind, an instinctual reaction to the human race being put in danger (again!) and Rose let out a shaky breath, feeling the eyes of the other Doctors on her as she struggled to calm the beast in her mind.

"The Zygons lost their own world." Elizabeth said calmly, "It burned in the first days of the Time War. A new home is required."

The beast unfurled, and Rose rolled her head, cracking her neck. The Doctor squeezed her shoulder again, and she could feel the darkness threatening to take over his own mind at the mention of another planet lost in the war that he had ended.

"So they want this one," Clara supplied, since no one else seemed to be talking.

"Not yet," Elizabeth replied haughtily, making Rose lift her eyebrows in confusion. Why was the queen acting so strangely? "It's far too primitive. Zygons are used to a certain level of comfort." They stopped in front of a strange glass cube that seemed to glow blue, and Rose saw the suited Doctor lean towards it, probably unconsciously, to get a better look, his eyebrows pulled into a tight frown.

"Commander," A Zygon came up behind the queen, who didn't react to the creature except to glance impassively at it over her shoulder. Rose felt uneasiness build in her core. This had to be the real Elizabeth, because a Zygon wouldn't have remembered knowing her only a few years ago, but she the chill that went down her spin was disconcerting. "Why are these creatures here?"

"Because I say they should be," Elizabeth replied decisively. "It is time you, too, were translated." She told the Zygon with a cold smile before turning to the Doctors, Rose and Clara. "Observe this. I believe you will find it fascinating." The group watched as the Zygon placed a large red hand on the small, glass cube with rounded edges. He glowed for a moment, and in a second he was gone. Rose felt a small, cold hand wrapped around her wrist, and suddenly she was being tugged away from the Doctor and towards Elizabeth.

"My dear Rose," she said with a smile that was much warmer than the one she'd offered the Zygon earlier. "You don't seem to have aged a day. How terribly rude of you,"

Rose grinned at the woman. "And yet you outshine me as usual, your majesty." She said with a slight curtsey that made the queen's eyes shine.

"None of that, dear friend," the queen insisted quietly. Rose was aware of the Doctors and Clara speaking about the painting that was nearby, but she focused her attention on the redheaded woman next to her. "You disappeared so quickly. Where could you have possibly gone without leaving so much as a trace of yourself, except in my memories?" The queen asked. Rose thought she could detect hurt in Elizabeth's voice, and she knew that it must have been painful for the queen to lose a friend, especially after she'd confessed to Rose about how alienated she'd been feeling since her coronation.

Rose sighed, running her hand through her hair. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. You know I am. But I did warn you that I didn't know how long I was staying."

"I didn't think that meant you would disappear so quickly," Elizabeth said quickly, meeting Rose's eyes. "I thought you would at least say goodbye."

* * *

" _Your Majesty," Rose curtsied deeply to the newly crowned queen as men and women danced around the fantastically large ballroom._

_She'd been in 1500's England for more than two months, trapped by a dimension cannon malfunction. She wasn't entirely sure what was wrong with the canon, but she knew that the canon wasn't working. Luckily for her, the large yellow buttons that had been the first cannons had, through the work of the Torchwood team, become small silver discs. Months ago, back in Pete's World, she'd bought a heavily wired pendant that she was able to tuck the disc into. Since then, she'd worn the thing as a necklace where ever she went._

" _Lady Rose," Elizabeth acknowledged with a nod of her head and a wide smile._

" _Are you enjoying the ball?" Rose asked, moving so that she was next to the queen. Her arms naturally rested behind her back, and she held her shoulders straight and tall. She felt rather beautiful in her TARDIS blue gown, which seemed to be made out of embroidered satins and laces. The corset, thankfully not too tight at her waist, was uncomfortable, but she did rather like the shape it gave her body. She could put up with it for an evening. Embroidered in gold, the dress reflected lights from around the ballroom, earning Rose many admiring glances, which she stoically ignored._

" _It's wonderful, Rose." Elizabeth breathed, looking around. "I almost wish I had a man with whom I could dance."_

_With a sly grin, Rose stepped in front of the queen, offering an arm with a deep bow. When she looked up to meet her friend's eyes, her own gaze twinkled with mirth. "May I have this dance, your Majesty?"_

_The queen laughed. "Lady Rose, you would make a chivalrous man, I've no doubt. But the two of us dancing would most certainly be inappropriate!"_

_Rose stood straight, still grinning, with mischief written all over her face. "Your Majesty, you're the queen! You can do as you'd like. If you want to dance at your coronation ball, then you should." She offered her arm again, her tongue poking out from between her teeth as she grinned at the redheaded queen._

_Elizabeth blinked several times, looking between Rose and the rest of the crowd, before finally accepting Rose's arm. Rose laughed and led the queen to the dance floor, where they ignored the shocked looks of the other dancers and proceeded to join into the choreographed movements._

_It didn't take long before men swept each of them up, but it was fun while it lasted, and Elizabeth giggled and shot Rose several grateful looks as they past each other._

_It was five weeks later – five of the longest weeks of Rose's life – that she felt a familiar burst of power from the heavy pendant around her neck. As it blinked to life, she remembered scrambling to make sure she wasn't stealing anything that had been graciously left for her by the palace staff._

_Being favored by Elizabeth had permitted her guest lodgings in the palace, for which, though the small room was located near the servants' quarters, Rose was extremely grateful. It was the worst of luck that this was where the canon had stopped working, but Rose counted her lucky stars that she and Elizabeth had been glued at the hip since her arrival at the palace._

_Knowing that the power building in the canon meant she had very little time, Rose removed her gown as quickly as she could, cursing what seemed to be hundreds of buttons and laces and knots. She breathed in relief when she pulled on her familiar black trousers, pink t-shirt, and blue leather coat. She grabbed a piece of parchment from the desk that had been provided for her and wrote a hasty note – a thank you for the hospitality, and an apology for not being able to say goodbye in person._

_It was only two minutes after she'd finished the note that she felt the familiar tingle in her toes and fingers that eventually became a burning sensation, and all at once she was being pulled across dimensions._

Rose closed her eyes, running her hand through her hair again. The current Doctor's gaze met hers briefly, his eyes shining in concern. Rose ground her teeth before replying. "I'm sorry, you know I am. I couldn't have prevented what happened. I wasn't supposed to be around that long in the first place."

* * *

Elizabeth frowned. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Well, I had this…travel machine." She tried to explain in terms the woman would understand. "And it broke when I got here, last time. I…um…it wasn't me who fixed it. It was…um…the people on the other end of the travel machine. It's just…it's a big mess that's hard to explain."

Suddenly, the tenth Doctor whirled on Elizabeth and Rose, who exchanged a quick look of surprise. "And do you know why I know that you're a fake?" He snapped, advancing on them dangerously, a glint in his brown eyes.

"Doctor," Rose warned, her voice low. She met his gaze with a serious one of her own, but he ignored her, his gaze directed on Elizabeth, who watched him with an incredulous expression.

"Because you're such a  _bad_  copy." The tenth Doctor snapped, now nose to nose with Elizabeth. "It's not just the smell, or the unconvincing hair, or the atrocious teeth, or the eyes just a bit too close together, or the breath that could stun a horse. It's because my Elizabeth, the real Elizabeth, would never be stupid enough to reveal her own plan. Honestly, why would you do that?"

Rose absent-mindedly rubbed her cheek. "Oh, for God's sake." She muttered, embarrassed for the brash alien. He shot her a quick glance before looking back at Elizabeth and lifting his eyebrows threateningly.

"Because it's not my plan," Elizabeth told him, her own eyebrow cocked up. "And I am the real Elizabeth." Rose rolled her eyes, reaching out and taking the Doctor's hand in hers, squeezing it gently as she shook her head and pressed her lips together, fighting a grin.

"Quit it," he told her, though there was no real anger in his voice, and she saw him fight back a grin as well. From over his shoulder, Rose spotted the eldest Doctor winking at her. She gave his tenth self's hand another squeeze before letting it go, running her hand through her hair.

"My twin is dead in the forest. I am accustomed to taking precautions." She said with a mischievous grin, pulling a dagger from her garter. Rose grinned approvingly, remembering how she had begged for the woman to arm herself in the past. Originally, Elizabeth had argued, saying that it was inappropriate for a young woman to carry such a thing. Rose had argued that as queen, her life would always be in danger, and that she should arm herself, even if it was a hidden weapon. "These Zygon creatures never even considered that it was me who survived rather than their own commander. The arrogance that typifies their kind."

"Zygons?" Clara chipped in, confused as to how the queen would know anything about Zygons.

"Men," Elizabeth replied emphatically, grinned when Rose  _guffawed_ beside her.

"Well, Elizabeth," the tenth Doctor said, a cocky grin on his face as he stuck his hands in his suit pockets. "I do believe your kingdom is in danger."

"I must agree, Doctor," Elizabeth nodded. His smirk widened, but his eyebrows pulled together when Elizabeth turned to Rose. "Rose, dear friend," Elizabeth said, taking Rose's hands. "Can I rely on your service? You defended so fiercely last time."

"Last time?" The War Doctor piped up, speaking out for the first time in a long time. Until now, he'd mostly kept quiet, observing rather than speaking. A trait that Rose believed to be very rare in the Doctor's incarnations.

* * *

" _Elizabeth," Rose whispered to herself, her heart pounding in her chest as she pushed her way through the throng of people in the ballroom._

_This was the third time Rose had attended a ball at the invitation of the new queen. She'd spotted the glinting silver object that certainly did not seem to belong to any dress or piece of jewelry. She recognized it instantly – years of dimension hoping had meant that she'd learned to identify potential dangers quickly. She'd materialized into more than one war zone, and the shine of a dagger reflecting surrounding light was not an uncommon part of those situations._

_She forced her way towards the queen, who was watching the proceedings from a large, throne like chair, an amused smile on her face. She thankfully arrived at the queen's side before the attacker, and she leaned in to whisper in the queen's ear. "Your majesty, please listen carefully and don't panic. There's a man here. He's wearing a red doublet and he's near the woman in the purple dress. Do you see him?"_

_The queen regarded her with pinched eyebrows before casually turning her gaze about the room, her eyes landing on the man described by Rose. "Yes, I see him."_

" _He's carrying a hidden dagger. I believe you are in danger."_

" _Dearest Rose, it's not uncommon for men to carry their weapons." Elizabeth placated, patting Rose's hand, which was resting on the armrest of the throne._

_Rose bowed her head. "Of course, your majesty. But it is rather uncommon for them to hide them. I've been watching him for several minutes. He's making his way towards you."_

" _I do believe you are making a big deal out of nothing, Rose." The queen appeased, though Rose could see that she was now watching the man in question more attentively._

_Realizing that the queen wouldn't believe her without proof, Rose let out a breath, walking away from the queen. She kept her eyes trained on the man, not relaxing her tense posture. Throughout the night, Rose followed him as he inched his way closer to the queen. She stayed as close as she could while remaining inconspicuous._

_The attack came quickly. Though the queen moved surrounded by guards, the man managed to push his way past them, dagger unsheathed and a cruel snarl on his lips._

_Rose moved quickly with the speed acquired from countless hours of Torchwood training. She shoved the queen out of the way with her shoulder, unfazed as Elizabeth tumbled awkwardly, and barely hearing the queen's yelp that seemed to draw the attention of everyone in the room. She blocked the incoming swing with her arm, twisting her forearm as she blocked so that the snapping motion hit the nerves of the man's arms, making him wince and pull back. Quickly, Rose twisted so that his arm was awkwardly bent behind his back, ignoring his growls and shouts of anger. She bent his wrist until his fingers were forced to release the knife, and it clattered to the floor, echoing loudly in the now nearly quiet hall. Rose stepped on the hilt, holding the man in the uncomfortable position until the queen's guards managed to get a hold of him. Once her hands were free, she picked up the dagger, handing it to one of the guards before she made her way over to Elizabeth, who was holding her heaving chest and looking at Rose with wide eyes._

_Rose tentatively placed her hand on the queen's shoulder, meeting her eyes. "Are you all right?"_

_Elizabeth said nothing for a few seconds, simply regarding Rose with a bewildered look. "You were right," she said, turning to look out the exit through which her attacker had been taken before looking at Rose again._

_Rose's hand twitched, and she felt the distinct need to run her hand through her hair, but it had been ornately pinned to her head by a servant who had taken a liking to her, and had seemed almost offended when Rose had gone to the last ball after having done her hair herself. She'd pulled it into a simple twist. The young woman had been scandalized when she'd helped Rose out of her dress after the ball, and had insisted that Rose let her do her hair in the future. "I tend to be when it comes to these things," Rose said with a half-hearted grin._

" _Then it's simple." Elizabeth said decisively, giving Rose a regal nod, "you will stay at the palace as my protector." She smoothed her dress carefully. "I have never seen a woman fight a man so effectively. You must be blessed by God, as he has blessed me by sending you to me."_

" _Oh," Rose sputtered, unsure how to reply. "Your Majesty, I - I'm not sure –" Rose wrung her fingers uncomfortably. "I'm not sure how long I'm staying for. As honoured as I am that you want me to stay…" she shrugged._

_The queen's shoulders slumped slightly, and a dejected expression crossed her features before she schooled them. "I see." She paused before speaking again. "Well, in that case, you will continue stay at the palace as long as you need. And you will join me on my daily walks, I hope."_

_Rose smiled, "I'd be honoured."_

* * *

Rose smiled and squeezed the queen's hand. "Of course, Elizabeth. You know I will always fight for you."

Elizabeth grinned widely. "Thank you, dearest friend." She turned to the tenth Doctor, grinning at him. "And you, my love, have a promise to keep."

The suited Doctor stuttered uncomfortably, tugging at his tie. The eleventh Doctor grinned sheepishly, meeting Rose's eyes. She winked at him before making her way to his side and taking his hand. He looked down and met her eyes, his own green eyes sparkling with fondness, amusement, and love. She smiled her Rose Tyler grin at him.

The queen, who insisted on holding the hand of a very guilty-looking tenth Doctor, led them from the dungeons. Rose and her current Doctor brought up the rear as the group made their way to the courtyard.

"I sorry about this, sweetheart," he murmured to her as they walked, their fingers loosely clasped together.

Rose grinned up at him. "Don't be ridiculous." She looked at the uncomfortable looking suited Doctor. "This is going to be funny, isn't it?"

He followed her gaze and returned her smile. "For us, yes. For him, no." He looked down at her, "it doesn't help that you'll be here to watch him marry someone else."

Rose laughed loudly, making the eleventh Doctor's grin widen, Clara and the War Doctor lift their eyebrows, and the tenth Doctor look at her in confusion. She pressed her lips together, fighting more laughter.

"I now pronounce you man and wife," the clergyman said formally. Clara let out a  _whoop_  and tossed…confetti? Where had she gotten confetti? Flowers, maybe? Regardless, she was more interested in Elizabeth pulling the tenth Doctor down for a passionate kiss. Rose felt a twinge of jealousy in her core.

As much as she tried to ignore it, Rose did not like that the Doctor –  _her_  Doctor – was being kissed by another woman. Granted, Elizabeth didn't know that he was hers, didn't know how Rose felt about him. And she wasn't  _with_  that Doctor in the way that she was with her current Doctor.

The Doctor who was holding her hand sent a wave of apology through the telepathic connection, looking down at Rose with his typical sheepish expression, this time with guilt mixed in. She smiled weakly at him, leaning her forehead on his bicep and letting out a huff of air.

"Is there a lot of this in the future?" The War Doctor asked in his raspy voice, sounding mildly distraught. His eyes flicked down to Rose, who flashed him a lopsided, goofy grin that she'd learned from the tenth Doctor. "I guess I have my answer."

The bowtie-wearing Doctor grinned and pressed a kiss to the top of Rose's head. When she lifted her head to smile at him, her tongue was poking out from between her teeth. He let go of her hand and slid his arm around her waist, hugging her tight to his side.

"I will be right back," The tenth Doctor was saying when she turned her attention back to him. With a final nod to Elizabeth he ran off into his TARDIS. Clara and the War Doctor followed, though Rose went to the queen's side to give her a hug before joining them.

"God speed, dear friend." Elizabeth said hastily, though Rose could see mist in the young queen's eyes.

Rose smiled somewhat sadly, placing her hands on Elizabeth's shoulders. "I didn't get to say goodbye last time."

Elizabeth's lips pulled into a weak smile. "Goodbye, my dear Rose."

Rose let out a heavy breath before nodding. "Goodbye, Elizabeth."

By the time Rose entered the TARDIS, all the Doctors were already standing on the grating. She took in a quick breath as she stepped through the doors, her eyes widening in shock and her mouth popping open. It had been centuries since she'd seen this console room, with its metallic grating and coral walls. She felt the TARDIS extend a warm greeting in her mind, which Rose fondly returned, making the TARDIS keen in delight.

"You're let this place go a bit," the War Doctor commented idly.

"Ah, it's his grunge phase," the eleventh Doctor replied with a casual shrug. "He grows out of it."

"Don't you listen to them," Rose murmured rather loudly, patting the familiar console. The TARDIS glowed happily in her mind and the tenth Doctor shot her a half amused, half affectionate look as he continued to fiddle with the console.

Suddenly, the console sparked, and the tenth Doctor snapped his hand off the console, shaking it and contorting his face in pain. "Ow!" He looked around as the TARDIS suddenly started to change, and Rose could hear the ship's frustration in her mind as she struggled to find the form she was supposed to be in. "The desktop is glitching!" He said, though it must have been obvious to everyone in the room, except perhaps Clara, who looked bewildered.

"Three of us from different time zones. It's trying to compensate." The War Doctor realized, moving to the console in an effort to help. As he did so, the console room changed, and the walls were covered in symmetrical and evenly spaced glowing circles that Rose had never seen. Strangely, she was reminded of bubble wrap, and she fought back a smile. She moved around the console quickly, trying to find buttons or levers that would help the poor ship stabilize.

"Hey look! The round things!" Her current Doctor called excitedly, a wide grin on his face as he met his previous self's eyes. Rose smiled at him, shaking her head at his folly.

"I  _love_  the round things," the tenth Doctor replied emphatically, gazing at the walls in wonder.

"What  _are_  the round things?" The eleventh asked, and Rose outright laughed, earning her a weak glare from the Doctor in question.

"No idea," the tenth Doctor replied calmly, shaking his head slightly.

Another large spark from the console had Rose shielding her eyes. "Oh!" She finally exclaimed, and everyone aboard the ship turned to look at her. She looked directly at her current Doctor before explaining, "Friction contrafibulator!" She said decisively, now making quick work of repairing the thing. Her current Doctor quickly joined her and they made easy work of the contrafibulator. Finally the Doctor flipped a final switch with a dramatic arm movement, and they were in their TARDIS.

"Oh, you've redecorated!" The tenth Doctor said, his voice rising in pitch. Before he contorted his face in displeasure. "I don't like it." His eyes trained on Rose as she worked in tandem with the eleventh Doctor to pilot his beloved time-and-space ship. While he'd understood, at this point, that this Rose was far into his ( _his!_ ) future and could do things that he didn't understand – like the telepathy that she somehow seemed completely in control of – it was still entirely strange to see Rose comfortably flicking switches, pressing buttons, and pulling levers on the console. He filed that information away to bring back up later.

Rose laughed.

"Oh. Oh yeah?" Rose's current Doctor started to say, as though he were going to challenge the other man. "Oh, you never do. Rose?"

She pulled down on a lever before looking up to meet his eyes. "The National Gallery. The Zygons are underneath it." She swung the monitor around and stopped it in front of her, frowning at it for a moment before smiling at the Doctor. "Coordinates are set. The National Gallery, London, the thirteenth of September, 2013."

"No wait!" Clara shouted, and all eyes in the TARDIS turned to her. She recoiled slightly under all of their gazes and stepped closer to Rose, who lifted her eyebrows and waited for further information about her sudden outburst. "Unit HQ. They followed us there in the Black Archive."

Rose felt as though all the air had been sucked out of her lungs in a moment's time. Her face drained of blood and she lost feeling in her fingers.

* * *

" _Agent Tyler," A woman by the name of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart greeted her with a cold expression and a stiff head nod. "UNIT extends its welcome."_

_Rose pressed her lips together as she unbuttoned her trench coat (she'd bought it on a whim because it reminded her of Jack), and carefully pulled off her gloves, tucking them into her pocket and resting her hands behind her back, offering Kate a smile. She knew the woman wasn't a fan of her – Rose was the daughter of the Torchwood Institute's director, Pete Tyler. UNIT and Torchwood had a tense relationship and a habit of stepping on each other's toes. "Kate," She greeted lightly. "We were surprised to get your call."_

" _No doubt," Kate replied, gesturing for Rose to follow her through the National Gallery, a place that had always given her the creeps. She followed the tall blonde woman through the gallery, allowing her eyes to wander about the room, taking in sculptures and paintings alike._

" _What seems to be the problem?" Rose asked as she was led through dark hallways and secret passages._

" _A theft."_

_Rose rolled her eyes, knowing Kate wouldn't see, and let out a undignified snort, which earned her an incredulous expression from the blonde scientific officer. "A theft from the National Gallery, they call UNIT, and you call Torchwood? Not bloody likely."_

_Kate's lips quirked upwards. "An important one."_

* * *

"Rose." The eleventh Doctor was at her side, a hand on her shoulder and a frown on his face. His eyes filled with concern as he looked at her. "You alright, sweetheart?"

Rose's eyes flicked over to the tenth Doctor, who was watching with an expressionless gaze, hands tucked in his pockets. She turned her gaze up to her current Doctor and nodded. His eyebrows pinched before he relaxed his face and nodded back to her, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "Have you set up the Space-Time telegraph yet?" Rose murmured, leaning into his lips.

The Doctor took a deep breath and leaned away from her, looking down at her with smiling eyes. "You, sweetheart, are brilliant."

Rose laughed. "I know."

The tenth Doctor was watching the exchange curiously, though he kept his face impassive. It was very rare that he was in a situation with another self and their current companion, but even more unlikely that he would end up with another Doctor and the woman he thought he'd never see again. Who also happened to be the woman he was completely in love with, had failed time and time again, and yet, who seemed to love him. She was a miracle, his Rose.

As the eleventh Doctor set up the telegraph, the suited Doctor casually made his way over to where Rose was standing, her eyes glazed over as she leaned her bum against the console, crossing her arms over her chest and letting out a deep sigh. "Sure you're alright?" He asked her quietly.

Her eyes cleared and she looked up at him with a weak smile. "I'm always alright." She repeated the words he'd once said to her. She saw recognition spark in his eyes, and he smiled at her fondly, hesitantly placing his arm across her shoulders, resting it lightly at first, as though he was afraid she might tell him to go away, and then more heavily. He felt his hearts speed up when she let out a sigh and leaned into his side.

He'd had more contact with her than this, of course. They'd hugged before, they'd held hands, and they'd shared a bed on more than one occasion. So his arm across her shoulders and her leaning into his side was nothing. Or should have been nothing. But he hadn't seen his Rose in years, and he'd missed her with a fierce intensity he'd never expected. He'd known, when he'd lost her the first time, that he loved her. He'd felt it whenever they made eye contact, whenever she'd smiled at him, whenever their fingers had touched. It was like a bolt of electricity that zapped his hearts and set them into overdrive so that they hit against his ribcage with enough force to leave him breathless.

And then she'd been ripped away from him – the universe had obviously not been satisfied with taking his planet, his people, his friends, and his granddaughter from him. It had decided to take the love of his lives as well, the person he could count on, the one who seemed to love him regardless of what he did or said, the one who didn't care that his face could change. His failure had meant that she'd been lost to him forever.

Or so he thought.

Because Rose Tyler didn't seem to believe in impossible.

Raxacoricofallapatorians in Downing Street? Don't worry about her, just blow up the building to stop them.

Locked in a hallway with a Dalek? Make it a part of her so it can't kill her.

Sent away in the world's only telepathic space-and-time ship? Open her heart and take all of space and time into her own head to get back to the man she loved.

Hundreds of thousands of Daleks in the sky? Turn them to dust.

Doctor unconscious and the Sycorax come to invade earth? Tell them to shove off.

Doctor being sucked into a black whole and stuck on a plane with the devil, no way of getting home? Unbuckle his seatbelt and blast a hole through the window so that he can't go near the human race.

Sucked through the void and be trapped, unable to ever see her home universe or the Doctor ever again?

Find a way through anyway.

"Got it!" The eleventh Doctor's exclamation made them all jump.

Something clicked to life on the console, like a phone, and suddenly a new voice filled the TARDIS, one that Rose knew.

" _Somewhere in your memory is a man called Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart. I'm his daughter."_

"Science leads, Kate. Is that what you mean? Is that what your father meant?" The eleventh Doctor asked.

" _Doctor?"_

"Space-Time Telegraph, Kate. A gift from me to your father: a hotline straight to the TARDIS. I know about the Black Archive and I know about the security protocol. Kate, please. Please tell me you are not about to do something unbelievably  _stupid_."

" _I'm sorry, Doctor. Switch it off."_

"Not as sorry as you will be," the tenth Doctor jumped in, his eyes meeting Rose's for a few seconds before looking away. "This is not a decision you will ever be able to live with!" He told her earnestly, and Rose winced, knowing that he was speaking from experience.

"Kate, we're trying to bring in the TARDIS. Why can't we land?" the eleventh Doctor asked irritably.

" _I said switch it off,"_ Kate insisted.

"Tower of London. Totally TARDIS proof." The tenth Doctor said bitterly.

Clara looked at each Doctor, and then Rose, in turn. "How can they do that?" She asked no one in particular.

Their current Doctor snorted. "Alien technology plus human stupidity. Trust, me it's unbeatable."

"Oi," Rose snapped at him, indignant. The Doctor flapped his hand at her, unbothered.

"We don't need to land," the War Doctor suddenly interjected. All eyes turned to him.

The tenth Doctor seemed particularly incredulous. "Yeah, we do," he said, his face contorting into a confused wide-eyed-high-eyebrows expression that Rose recognized. His voice was an octave or two higher than normal as he spoke. "Tiny bit. Try and keep up."

"No we don't," the War Doctor shook his head and went to pick up the stasis cube that was sitting on the console. "We don't. There is another way." He looked at all the faces around them. Surprise registered on the Doctors' and Clara's faces, but Rose simply grinned widely a him, earning a smile in response before the older man looked at the eleventh Doctor with a bemused expression. "Cup-a-soup. What is cup-a-soup?"

Rose looked up at her current Doctor in confusion. "Cup-a-soup?" she repeated to him, lifting her eyebrows.

He ran a hand over his face before meeting her eyes, a slightly sheepish expression in his eyes. "I sort of said the stasis cube was like cup-a-soup if you add time." He explained to her.

Rose blinked a few times before bursting out into laughter. "A  _cup-a-soup_  plus  _time_?" she said through gasps of air. "I think, love, you win 'worst analogy of the week'," she said when she finally caught her breath, wiping tears from her eyes.

The eleventh Doctor's shoulders slumped and he shot her a dejected look, which she simply smiled at. "Rose Tyler, quit laughing. I'm trying to save the world," he told her seriously, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her cell phone, kissing her on the tip of the nose as he did so, offering her a small smile and a wink. As he dialed a number, Rose made her way over to the tenth Doctor, who had moved away from her during the exchange.

She said nothing as she reached his side, simply smiling up at him and leaning against the railing next to him. Once again, he placed her arm over her shoulders, and she felt a thrill go through her system. Realistically, she knew, she shouldn't be this excited every time the Doctor touched her. She was with the Doctor all the time, these days. They shared a bed every night, they hugged and held hands all the time, so why, she wondered, was her body acting like a hormone filled sixteen-year-old every time this Doctor touched her?

The answer of course, was a simple one. Rose had spent years trying to get back to  _this_  Doctor, she'd spent a lifetime with his twin, and she'd loved him as fiercely as she'd loved his successor and his predecessor. Rose would always be in love with  _this_  man.

When the Doctor hung up the phone and made his way back to the group in large, excited steps, arms flailing about, Rose knew they were about to begin. She eyed the cube warily, sinking into the suited Doctor's side as she watched the War Doctor go first. He placed his hand on the cube, seemed to glow for a moment, in a very non-regenerate-y kind of way, and then he was gone.

"How do we know it's going to the right painting?" Rose whispered to the tenth Doctor, who simply tugged on his ear with his free hand and didn't look at her.

That was comforting.

"Me next," the eleventh Doctor said, coming over to kiss Rose on the lips quickly before placing his palm on the cube and disappearing.

As the tenth Doctor and Clara each placed their hands on the cube in turn, Rose had a fleeting realization.

The TARDIS was still in the Vortex.

Leave the Doctor to come up with a brilliant plan to get into the Black Archive without using the TARDIS and forget to park her before he executed the plan. She rolled her eyes. Quickly, she parked the TARDIS in what she assumed to be Kate's office. If it was in the parallel world, Rose reasoned, then it probably was in this one as well. Once the TARDIS was parked and tinkling with amusement in her mind, Rose placed her hand on the stasis cube and closed her eyes.

When she opened them, she was not longer on the TARDIS. She was standing in what seemed to be the middle of the Battle of Arcadia, next to three Doctors and Clara. She thought she glimpsed panic in the eyes of her current Doctor, and she assumed that was because she was a few seconds late – she should have arrived immediately after Clara, and in true Doctor fashion, he'd begun to think that something had happened to her.

Her appearance calmed his features and she nodded, a sparkle of amusement in her eyes, and they began to move. The three men whirled on an oncoming Dalek, attacking it with their screwdrivers and driving it through the glass of Gallifrey Falls.

Dramatically as though they were moving in slow motion, the three Doctors walked out of the painting.

"Hello," the War Doctor said, almost cheerfully.

"I'm the Doctor," continued the tenth.

"Sorry about the Dalek," finished the eleventh, though from his tone he was absolutely not in the least bit sorry.

"Also the showing off," Clara muttered as she stumbled out, making Rose grin. She offered a hand to the brunette, who took it gratefully and carefully stepped out of the frame, looking back at it as though she still couldn't quite believe they'd just been inside the painting.

"Kate Lethbridge Stewart," the eleventh Doctor advanced threateningly on the two Kates. "What in the name of sanity are you doing?"

Both Kates stood stoically, "the countdown can only be halted at my personal command. There's nothing you can do." One replied drily, and Rose, who had never gotten along with the woman, even in the alternate universe, felt her lips pull back into a threatening snarly, her eyes glinting dangerously. She felt an unfamiliar hand on her shoulder and was surprised to see the War Doctor standing behind her, a warning in his eyes behind the curiosity that was written all across his face.

"Except make you both agree to halt it." The tenth Doctor suggested.

"Not even for three of you," Kate's eyes darted around the room and landed on the cold expression of Rose Tyler. "And the Wolf."

"You're about to murder millions of people," the War Doctor told her seriously, and Rose looked down at her toes.

"To save billions," Kate insisted. "How many times have you made that calculation?"

"Once." That was the voice of her current Doctor, though it was deep and reproachful, and Rose could feel his eyes on her. She lifted her head and met his eyes. His normally cheerful green orbs weren't masking his pain as they usually did. Rose had, since she'd known this incarnation, learned to see through the Doctor's boyish façade, but it was strange, somewhat disarming, to see him not shielding himself at all. She met his gaze squarely, almost unaware of the curious looks the two were getting from the other Doctors. Clara, on the other hand, was completely used to Rose and the Doctor getting lost in each other. "Turned me into the man I am now. I'm not even sure who that is anymore."

Though Rose and the Doctor weren't touching and therefore couldn't speak telepathically, Rose tried her best to communicate to him with only her eyes. He didn't have know to who he was, she thought fiercely, she would know for him, and she would remind him. Every day, if she needed to. He seemed to sense her thoughts and the corners of his lips twitched upwards as he steadily met her gaze.

"You tell yourself it's justified, but it's a lie. Because what I did that day was wrong. Just wrong," the tenth Doctor interrupted the silent exchange, and Rose's eyes drifted to him. She watched him curiously as he leaned forward, bracing himself against the tables with his knuckles.

Her first Doctor, the one with the big ears, leather jacket, piercing blue eyes, and manic grin had had the first mask against the world that she'd known. His stormy, angry gaze could become the manic, crazed smile in a moment, and rather than pushing through the pain, he would isolate himself from her, dealing with his memories on his own and turning his grin on her, leading her on their next adventure, often without even mentioning his pain. He'd changed, she admitted, the more she got to know him and the more time they spent together. Eventually he would turn to her, sometimes. He would hold her hand, he would hug her, and she could see some of that pain in his eyes. But the wounds of the Time War were too fresh, the pain of losing his home and his people so strong, that he hadn't talked to her about it, preferring to seek out silent comfort.

Her second Doctor –  _this_  Doctor – had been a bit of a shock to her system. He'd been energetic to an almost frightening degree. He almost never isolated himself from her, preferring to seek her out, hold her hand, and pretend like nothing was wrong. Oftentimes she could feel the madness rolling off him in waves, see a crazed glint in his eyes, but it was hidden behind wide smiles and laughs and flirtations, so much so that eventually she stopped noticing. He'd been more willing to talk about his past than his predecessor, who'd only just come out of the Time War. He'd told her some things about his past, about his previous companions (though not until after she'd met Sarah Jane), and been more willing to share with her. It was still strange to see him talking about the War; about the day he committed the crime that still burned in his mind, and Rose felt an almost overwhelming need to comfort him. She didn't, however, want to distract him from the task at hand.

She glanced over at the final Doctor out of curiosity, since he was the one who couldn't have an opinion as strong as the Doctors she'd known, because he had yet to commit the crime. She couldn't be one hundred percent sure, granted, but the fact that the Moment still seemed to be hanging around was a pretty good indication that he had yet to use it.

"And, because I got it wrong, I'm going to make you get it right," the bowtie'd Doctor said decisively.

"How?" Kate demanded.

"Any second now," the tenth Doctor jumped in, "you're going to stop that countdown. Both of you, together."

"Then you're going to negotiate the most perfect treaty of all time," her current Doctor added.

"Safeguards all around, completely fair on both sides." The suited Doctor finished, sounding particularly pleased with himself.

Er…him _selves_.

Now the bowtie-clad Doctor turned to his predecessor. "And the key to perfect negotiation?"

The tenth Doctor grinned, "not knowing what side you're on."

Rose watched the exchange, fascinated. When the Doctors had originally met, it had been arguing and insults all around. More of the usual, when it came to the Doctor meeting other incarnations of himself. However, now as she watched the interactions between the tenth and eleventh Doctors, she was reminded more of when there'd been two of the bowtie-wearing Doctor, when one had been flesh. Thinking back to that adventure made Rose shiver unpleasantly, but it was remarkable to see. She'd never seen two incarnations of the Doctor get along so well.

"So, for the next few hours," the eleventh Doctor turned back to the pair of Kates, Osgoods, and McGillops, "until we decide to let you out…"

"No one in this room will be able to remember if they're human…"

"Or Zygon." Her current Doctor finished, before hopping onto the table that separated Zygons and humans with a  _whoops-a-daisy!_ , brandishing his sonic screwdriver. The tenth Doctor joined him on the table, pulling out his own blue-tipped device, and both men pointed their tools at the memory filter and clicked them on.

The whirring of the screwdriver sounded next to her as well, making her jump. She turned to see the War Doctor doing the same: pointing his screwdriver at the memory filter. She was fascinated to note that his was neither blue nor green-tipped, but rather red.

The memory filter sparked and crackled, making her avert her eyes from the sudden brightness, and the Wolf in her mind snapped its jaws when the memory filter briefly affected her own memories. She hissed at the unpleasant sensation, earning a look of confusion from Clara, who did not seem affected.

The two Kates looked at each other in shock before turning to the countdown and shouting, "cancel the detonation!" simultaneously.

"Peace in our time," her current Doctor murmured from his position on the table, sounding pleased. He hopped down and made his way straight to Rose, leaving his tenth self to direct the negotiations. He was in front of her in a moment, and Rose could feel the eyes of the War Doctor watching her curiously. "Alright, sweetheart?" her Doctor asked her quietly, cupping her face in both hands and examining her face.

"Suppose," she muttered, reaching up to place her palm against her forehead and then running it through her hair. "What was that?"

The Doctor stroked her jaw lightly before pulling her towards him and placing a light kiss on her forehead. "You're not quite human, see, but you're not Time Lord. You're a species the filter didn't recognize, so it treated you as Zygon."

"Well that's just lovely," Rose sighed, earning an affectionate smile from her Doctor, who pulled her into a tight hug before releasing her.

"You'll be fine?" He asked, and she could see he was itching to see how the negotiation was going.

She smiled at him, reaching up to straighten his bowtie. "I'm always fine. Go play. I'll stay here with you."

He smiled, stealing one last kiss from her lips before he returned to the table, moving to stand next to his suited self. Rose smiled as she watched him jump right into the discussion, then turned to see where the youngest Doctor had gone off to.

She spotted him sitting in a large black leather chair that looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she'd seen it before. He seemed to be pouring something…was that a thermos of tea? She wanted to laugh, but instead she located Clara, who was looking intently at the bulletin board of companions, as Rose had dubbed it.

She quickly made her way over to the War Doctor, grabbing an old looking office chair on her way and dragging it behind her. She placed it next to the Doctor's seat and sat down heavily, letting out a deep breath.

"You seem tired," the Doctor said in his gravelly voice, looking at her curiously.

Rose snorted. Wasn't that just so typical of the Doctor? "So do you," she said drily, raising her eyebrows at him.

He smiled at bit at her retort. "Yes," he acknowledged quietly. "I'm quite tired."

Rose slumped in her chair. "I know," she sighed.

"Do we still meet?" the War Doctor asked her suddenly. "If I don't do it, like they wish they hadn't, do we still meet?"

Rose met his eyes steadily, "Does it matter?" She asked him. "If you could save Gallifrey, if you could save more than two billion children, does it really matter?"

The Doctor regarded her for a moment before letting out a sigh. "You're important. Not just to them," he nodded towards the two Doctors who were still mediating discussion, "but to me. All of me. Otherwise it wouldn't have chosen you."

Rose frowned, before realization dawned on her, "the Moment, you mean."

He looked at her in confusion. "Why did it show itself to you? No one else saw it."

Rose shrugged before smiling weakly. "Well, it is me." They shared a laugh, allowing it dissolve into comfortable silence before she spoke again. "It doesn't want to do it."

The War Doctor sighed. "Who would? It's genocide. But there's no other way."

Rose watched her two Doctors talking animatedly to the humans and Zygons, convincing them to work together, not letting them murder hundreds of people because he had murdered billions and had never stopped regretting it.

"He regrets it," another voice made Rose jump, but the War Doctor barely reacted. They both looked at Clara, who was wringing her hands and not meeting their gazes. "The Doctor, he regrets it," she said again, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

Rose let out a heavy sigh. "His regret has saved millions of lives," she reminded the other companion. She knew full well that the Doctor regretted what he'd done, she knew how it made him feel, she knew how alone he was. She knew he had nightmares and night terrors and sometimes woke up screaming, looking at her with wide, frightened eyes.

"You'd let him do it again?" Clara asked, indignant and shocked.

Rose lifted her gaze and met Clara's eyes. "Yes." She replied heavily.

"I've seen all I needed," the War Doctor said decisively, turning his gaze on the Moment, which had just appeared across from them, leaning against a pillar in the large room with crossed armed and a blank expression on its face. Rose lifted her eyes to meet those of the Moment, and it was still as eerie as the first time she'd met her own eyes. Those of the Moment were mischievous and feral, more like the expression she would imagine Bad Wolf having than her own, though not quite entire Bad Wolf in a way she couldn't explain. "I'm ready," he told it decisively.

"I know," it replied softly in a voice that sounded so strangely like Rose's that she felt a shiver go down her spine.

The War Doctor turned his head and looked at Rose, and she met his eyes with a warm smile and placed her palm on his leather-covered forearm. "Goodbye," he told her quietly, and affectionate gleam in his eyes.

"For now," Rose replied.

When Clara turned to ask what was going on, Rose was sitting alone, her shoulders slumped and her gaze turned downwards. While she felt the need to comfort her friend, she had the distinct sense that Rose needed this time to herself. She had, as far as Clara could tell, send the Doctor off to commit a crime he would regret for the rest of his lives.

Rose was silent for the rest of the negotiation, and Clara noticed the Doctors each sending Rose confused looks every few minutes, the concern in their eyes building when she rested her head on her palms, bracing her elbows on her thighs.

When they finally left the Black Archive, a treaty sorted out, Rose and Clara blinked against the bright sun outside. Clara reached up and hesitantly placed her palm on Rose's shoulder, hoping to offer some kind of comfort to the blonde who was still looking drained. Rose reached up and covered Clara's hand with her own, giving her a thankful squeeze before letting her hand drop.

"Oh," Rose stopped suddenly, turning to the two Doctors, who now had confused expressions on their faces as they looked around the empty courtyard in front of the National Gallery. "Your TARDIS," she pointed to the Doctor with the sticky-uppy hair, "is in Kate's office. And yours," she turned and smiled to her current Doctor. "Is with Jack."

The eleventh Doctor whined in protest and Rose smiled.

"Are we actually going to let him do this?" Clara asked disbelievingly, looking at the three of them in turn. Rose sighed heavily and closed her eyes while the two Doctors exchanged looks.

"Let who do what?" The eleventh Doctor asked Clara.

"The other you! You're going to let him kill all of those people?"

The tenth Doctor shook his head. "You don't even know if he's done it yet." He said quietly.

"He hasn't," Rose murmured. The Doctors' gazes snapped directly to her, and she shrugged without meeting their gazes.

"Can't we stop him?" Clara pleaded.

"No," all three time travellers answered at once.

Rose looked at Clara's crestfallen face and felt a pang of regret. She met each Doctor's eyes in turn. "But we could be with him," Rose said quietly, "so that he doesn't have to do it alone."

The Doctors exchanged a look, and her current Doctor stepped forward, taking one of her hands and bringing it to his lips before holding it with both hands and stepping in closer so that their faces were only a few inches apart. "We wouldn't be able to get through," he told her quietly. "Those kinds of events…"

Rose sighed before asking, "shouldn't we try?" She asked him, meeting his eyes and reaching up to stroke his jaw. "I don't want you to be alone." She whispered to him.

The Doctor sighed heavily, leaning in to press his forehead against hers. They stepped like that for several moments before he leaned away, turning to look at the tenth Doctor, who was watching the interaction with a blank expression that Rose knew all too well. "Do we try?" the Doctor holding her hand asked his predecessor.

The suited Doctor met his successor's eyes for a few minutes before lowering his gaze to Rose, who was watching him with wide, pleading eyes. She said nothing, but as he examined her face his features softened and he lifted his gaze back to the bowtie-wearing Doctor. "Why not try?"

In an instant, her current Doctor's attitude changed. Suddenly he was jovial and excited, all but tugging Rose into an out of the way alley so that they could use the vortex manipulator that was still on her wrist to get to the hub.

"Um," Rose stood still, planted on the spot. The Doctor turned to look at her with raised eyebrows. "You take Clara, I'll go with him," she threw her thumb over her shoulder, pointing to the tenth Doctor, who was standing with his hands in his pockets and his brown trench coat billowing around him.

The eleventh Doctor stepped in close again, lowering his head so that he could meet her eyes, regarding her seriously. After a few minutes of examining her face, he nodded. She offered her wrist, and he quickly unbuckled the straps of the time travel device, placing it his own wrist and offering his other hand to Clara, who took it quickly. The Doctor quickly punched in the coordinates, leaned in for a quick kiss, then press a button, and the two of them were gone.

Rose turned to the other Doctor and jogged towards him and extended her hand. He grinned widely, his whole face lighting up, and the two of them ran back into the National Gallery, Rose tugging the tall man towards Kate's office.

Rose felt a squeeze in her heart at the sensation of his hand in hers – one that she never thought she would feel again – and grinned widely as they ran, knowing she must look a fool but not caring. When they reached the office, the Doctor quickly put his key in the lock and opened the door, jogging directly to the console.

Rose paused, eyeing the familiar coral filled room with a wide smile before she moved to the console as well, joining the Doctor in the familiar dance around the time ship's control center that she'd never done with this particular man. He grinned widely when she joined him, needing no help from him as she pressed buttons and pulled levers, and she returned his manic smile.

Rose swung the monitor around and stopped it in front of her before returning her gaze to the Doctor, her tongue poking out from between her teeth as she grinned. "Coordinates set," she told him excitedly.

"Allons-y!" He called cheerfully, making a great show of flipping one final lever.

When they stepped out of the TARDIS, hand in hand, the eleventh Doctor and Clara had already arrived, and the tenth Doctor didn't miss the look of relief that crossed next incarnation's face when he saw Rose step out of the TARDIS.

"I told you," Clara whispered to the eleventh Doctor. "He hasn't done it yet."

"Go away now, all of you. This is for me." The War Doctor grumbled, turning away from them so that he faced the box. Rose's eyes fell on the ruby red button, surrounded by golden claws that somewhat resembled rose petals. She felt a shiver pass through her system at the strange symbolism.

Rose looked away from the War Doctor to see the Moment winking at her. Rose felt a wave of gratitude go through her system, and knew it was coming from the Moment and sent to her alone – the Moment had asked her to stop him from killing them all, and now here she was.

"These events should be time-locked. We shouldn't even be here." The tenth Doctor muttered, looking at Rose in confusion. She shrugged.

"Something let us through," The eleventh Doctor pondered, his voice low.

"Clever boys," the Moment, who had disappeared from her position in front of the War Doctor and moved to sitting on a table that was pushed against the wall of the barn, grinned, visible only to Rose and the War Doctor. Rose grinned back at it.

"Go back," the War Doctor said again, "go back to your lives. Go and be the Doctor that I never could be. Make it worthwhile."

Rose moved forward, past the other Doctors and Clara, and wrapped her fingers around the War Doctor's leather-clad forearm. He turned his head to look at her, and met her steady, apologetic gaze.

"All those years, burying you in my memory," the tenth Doctor muttered, sounding thoughtful.

"Pretending you didn't exist. Keeping you a secret, even from myself." The eleventh Doctor's voice continued, and though the two men couldn't see the pain that breezed across the War Doctor's face at the thought of being forgotten, forced away, Rose did, and she squeezed arm with both her hands, leaning her head against his shoulder. He looked down at her, his gaze filled with something like amazement.

"Pretending you weren't the Doctor, when you were the Doctor more than anybody else." The suited Doctored realized, his voice become louder as he spoke.

"You were the Doctor on the day that it wasn't possible to get it right." The eleventh Doctor told the War Doctor, moving to stand to the younger man's left. Rose looked up at him from her position, still resting her head on the War Doctor's shoulder. Her current Doctor looked down at her, and she could see the pain that came with admitting to what he'd done, repressing the War Doctor and repressing what he'd done.

"But you men," the War Doctor murmured, "you've found something worth fighting for." He looked down at the blonde woman, who lifted her gaze to meet his. Her eyes were filled with something he hadn't seen in years, something he wasn't even sure he could recognize any more. Against all hope, he hoped that that expression in her eyes was  _love_.

One soft, young hand moved so that it gripped an old wrinkled one –the hand of the old man he'd becoming while fighting in the most terrible war.

 _Yes_.

Her presence in his mind was like a golden light that filled the dark, cavernous, wounded mind of the War Doctor. For a moment, he allowed himself to bathe in her warm presence, her soft light in his mind.

"Yes," the eleventh Doctor's gaze softened considerably as he took in his…girlfriend? Lover? Partner? His  _Rose_ , that was all he knew.

Rose felt fingers weave in with her own, and she felt the tenth Doctor squeeze her hand, conveying his own thankfulness for her presence, remembering every moment she'd saved him, every time she'd made him feel better, special, appreciated, loved. Even in this past version, this version that she'd never kissed, never vocally expressed her love, never – ahem –  _danced_ with, his love for her was staggering. She was certain that if she hadn't been leaning against the War Doctor, she would have stumbled with the force of his feelings.

"You don't have to do this alone," Rose murmured softly to the Doctor whose shoulder she was currently occupying. "You'll never have to do anything alone again, if I have anything to say about it," she grinned up at the youngest man with the oldest face, and he smiled back down at her, affection in his tired eyes. With her eyes on him, she missed the way the suited Doctor's eyes flashed, and he looked away from the two. The eleventh Doctor met his predecessor's eyes, and there was something like an apology in them.

"Thank you," the War Doctor murmured, to Rose and to the other Doctors, who had both placed their hands on the bright, red ruby that seemed to be the detonation button for the Moment. Rose looked back at her twin and saw panic in its eyes, though it said nothing. Carefully, deliberately, she placed her hand on top of her current Doctor's, meeting his eyes for a quick moment.

"What we do today is not out of fear or hatred," the tenth Doctor said quietly, but with a determination and force that spoke volumes as he met each of their eyes in turn, stopping on Rose. "It is done because there is no other way."

"And it is done in the name of the many lives we are failing to save," Rose's current Doctor added, his voice low and heavy. Rose spared a glance at each of them.

She didn't notice him turn his head until he said, "what?"

She turned her head to see Clara staring at him in shock, her eyes red and tears slipping down her cheeks.

"What is it?" What?" the bowtie-wearing Doctor demanded.

"Nothing," Clara replied so quietly that Rose almost didn't hear.

"No, it's something. Tell me." The Doctor asked again, though the rough demand was gone from his voice, which was significantly softer, and his eyes were on his feet.

"You told me you wiped out your own people…I just…I never picture  _you_  doing it, that's all."

Rose could see that Clara's words hit the Doctor like a ton of bricks, hurt crossing his eyes. She looked behind her to see the Moment, but the projection, her twin, was gone. Suddenly, Rose felt a presence slipping into her mind. One that wasn't cruel or evil, and it slipped in so quietly that the other in her didn't even react.

Her vision blurred gold. "Take a closer look," she heard herself saying. She didn't see all four pairs of eyes in the room snap to her. The Moment had seen its chance - its chance to change the past, and the future, its chance to change the Doctor's mind. It wasn't going to be able to do that through the interface it had been using, only visible to two members of the group, both set on playing out history as it already had.

It would make itself heard by the others, the ones who regretted what they'd done.

"What's happening to her?" Clara demanded, looking at her Doctor in shock. Rose's eyes had sometimes flashed gold when she was angry or threatened, but she'd never seen the blonde change like this. Her expression became blank and empty and Clara felt a chill run down her spine.

"She's being used by the Moment's interface," the War Doctor replied. "That must be what's happening anyway, because the interface looked like her, and now it's gone. This must be how it's choosing to communicate with you men."

The tenth Doctor frowned. "What do you mean, 'it looked like her'?"

The barn began to fade, quickly being overtaken by blackness, and suddenly they were no longer standing around the Moment's cage, but rather in a scene that felt like the painting they'd travelled in before.

"What's happening?" Clara asked, alarmed.

"Nothing," the War Doctor replied gruffly. "It's a projection."

"It's a reality around you," the Moment replied through Rose, whose eyes were still dancing with the gold of the Bad Wolf and the time vortex.

Clara looked around at the scene. Children and adults alike were running from fire and explosions, seemingly defenseless. Wide eyes and tear stained cheeks and screaming from every which direction had Clara turning her head faster than she thought she should. "These are the people you're going to burn?" She asked the Doctor in disbelief, tears trailing down her own cheeks.

"There isn't anything we can do." The tenth Doctor said, regret and self-loathing in his tone as he took in his surroundings.

"He's right," the eleventh Doctor agreed. "There isn't another way. There never was. Either I destroy my own people or let the universe burn." There was a terrible realization in the Doctor's tone, a helplessness that Clara had never heard in his voice. She turned to Rose for help, but the blonde's eyes still burned gold and Clara knew there would be no help for her there. The interface, as far as Clara could tell, did not want to burn Gallifrey, but it would not demand anything from the Doctor. It wasn't the choice of the weapon whether or not to be used.

"Look at you," Clara breathed, determination coming into her tone as she realized it would fall on her to convince them to do something other than  _burn_. "The three of you. The warrior, the hero, and you."

"And what am I?" the eleventh Doctor stepped towards him companion, keeping his gaze one her.

"Have you really forgotten?" Clara asked him.

"Yes." He replied. "Maybe, yes."

"We've got enough warriors," Clara told him. "And any old idiot can be a hero."

"Then what do I do?" He whispered to her.

"Be a Doctor." To his surprise, the voice didn't come from his teary-eyed companion, but from behind him. He whirled around to see Rose, eyes still shining with time and power, step towards him. "You made a promise. "Never cruel nor cowardly."

"Never give up, never give in," the War Doctor finished for her, surprise written across his face. Though he knew, realistically, that he shouldn't be surprised at what strange information the Moment seemed to know, considering it had been in his head.

The darkness began to fade, lighting back up slowly until they were back in the barn. Rose gasped as she regained her vision, stumbling slightly. A strong pair of arms held her steady, and she shot a grateful look to the suited Doctor.

When she lifted her eyes to her current Doctor, she saw him eyeing the War Doctor purposefully. "You're not actually suggesting you change your own history?" She gasped, earning her a somewhat grateful glance from the tenth Doctor. She had always tended to think like him.

"We change history all the time," the eleventh Doctor insisted. "I'm suggesting something far worse." He seemed to regret his words as he spoke them.

"What, exactly?" the War Doctor asked him, sounding very much like a man scolding an adventurous youth.

The eleventh Doctor straightened his back. "Gentlemen," he said seriously. "I have had four hundred years to think about this." He paused, and suddenly a smile grew on his face. "I've changed my mind!" Rose watched in alarm as he pulled out his sonic aimed it at the ruby, and the metal claws wrapped back around the gem, concealing it. The stalk lowered until the Moment was once again just a box.

"There's still a billion billion Daleks up there, attacking." The War Doctor argued, exchanging a disbelieving look with Rose.

"Yeah, there is. There is." The eleventh Doctor acknowledged, walking away from the box, a bounce to his step that she hadn't seen in ages.

"But there's something those billion billion Daleks don't know." The tenth Doctor jumped in enthusiastically.

"Because if they did, they'd probably send for reinforcements." The bowtie-clad Doctor continued, his voice loud and sounding more like himself than he had in past several hours.

"What is it? What don't they know?" Clara asked him, her eyes brimming with excitement now that she knew that her Doctor wasn't going to burn the planet, not if he could help it.

"Ha! This time there's three of us," he replied jovially. "And we have the Valiant Child on our side," he added looking at Rose with excitement in his eyes. Rose smiled at him, a feral, mischievous grin that was more Bad Wolf than Rose, and he knew that he had the entity's attention, as well as hers. If they could save the Time Lords, save Gallifrey, then the Bad Wolf, who existed to protect the Doctor, would help shield him from that pain.

After all, it  _had_  come to be for the sole purpose of saving the Doctor.

"Oh!" the War Doctor cried suddenly, his arms moving up to grip his head as he shouted to the ceiling. "Ooooooh yes, that is good! That is  _brilliant_!" The eleventh Doctor watched the display with a wide, child-like grin and his hands seemed to dance.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! I'm getting that, too!" the tenth Doctor joined in, loudly and happily. "That is  _brilliant!_ "

The eleventh Doctor laughed joyfully. "And I've been thinking about it for centuries!"

The War Doctor had a sudden realization, and he turned his shocked but thrilled gaze to Rose. "She didn't just show me any old future, she showed me exactly the future I needed to see."

"Now you're getting it," the Moment smiled from its position on the table.

"Eh? Who did?" The eleventh Doctor asked, looking at the War Doctor as if he'd just lost his mind.

"The Moment," Rose grinned at the War Doctor.

"Oh, Bad Wolf girl, I could kiss you!" The War Doctor cried out jovially, and, acting on instinct, Rose grabbed his lapels and pulled him down for a quick, chaste kiss, ignoring the looks of Clara and the other Doctors, both of which looked jealous. Rose's eyes didn't leave the War Doctor's, and he smiled widely at her. She returned his grin, poking her tongue out from between her teeth.

"Bad Wolf?" the tenth Doctor frowned, looking at Rose. "Have you been in on this all along?"

Rose ran her hand through her hair, still smiling. "Sort of. Not really."

Before the Doctor could ask more, Clara jumping in, wanting to know what the plan was, and all three Doctors clamored to explain. And they did so as poorly as the Doctor would.

"But where would Gallifrey be?" Clara asked when they'd finished.

"Frozen," the tenth Doctor said enthusiastically, "frozen in an instant of time, safe and hidden away."

"Exactly…" the eleventh Doctor when to add.

"Like a painting," the War Doctor finished in a whisper, a wide grin on his tired face.

Quickly they all moved to their TARDIS's, the War Doctor hoping into the eleventh's so that he could be dropped off at his own, saving himself a walk that had been described as " _miles and miles and miles and miles and miles_ ".

"Rose, go with sandshoes. You'll be able to help him out, he'll need it more than I will anyway," the eleventh Doctor instructed. Rose nodded, and the Doctor stole a kiss from her before turning away, though every instinct he had screamed at him to go back, to keep her at his side.

The tenth Doctor had been about to protest, but stopped, realizing what his older self was doing. Giving him a little extra time with the girl he loved but would never see again with this particular body. When Rose turned to him, excitement on her face, he gallantly opened the door to his TARDIS, gesturing for her to enter first. She did so at a run.

As they piloted, the Gallifrey High Command popped up on their monitor. "Hello, hello, Gallifrey High Command, this is the Doctor speaking." That was her current Doctor's voice.

"Hello! Also the Doctor, as well as the Bad Wolf. Can you hear me?" the tenth form added.

"Bad Wolf here, we are almost ready on our end," Rose added, sticking her head into the edge of the screen and seeing the general's surprise at the unfamiliar face. She was still fiddling with buttons and levers.

"Also the Doctor, standing ready," that was the gruff voice of the War Doctor.

"Dear God, three of them. All my worst nightmares at once." The General muttered. Rose fought back a laugh, knowing that it wasn't appropriate at the time, but she knew how the Doctor felt. She could barely handle two of him at once, let alone what was coming his way, if this worked out.

"General, we have a plan," Rose said, her eyes sparkling gold and authority falling over her shoulders like a cloak. The tenth Doctor observed her proudly.

"We should point out at this moment, it is a fairly terrible plan." The eleventh Doctor added quickly.

"And almost certainly won't work," the tenth Doctor quipped, earning him a reproachful look from Rose.

"I was happy with fairly terrible," the eleventh Doctor told him irritably, and he could almost see Rose shooting his past self a scolding look, because she always was the more diplomatic of the two.

"Sorry. Just thinking out loud." The tenth Doctor said to both his successor and Rose, his eyes sparkling when their gazes met. Meeting Rose Tyler's eyes, while she helped pilot the TARDIS, while they worked to  _save_  Gallifrey. He thanked every deity he could think of for this moment, this short, tiny little moment where everything was finally  _right_.

The eleventh Doctor shook his head before directing his eyes back to the general. "We're flying our three TARDIS's into your lower atmosphere."

"We're positioned at equidistant intervals around the globe." The tenth Doctor explained before turning to Rose. "Equidistant. So grown up." He told her, and she smiled widely at him, that tongue-in-tooth smile that he'd missed and loved so much.

"We're just about ready to do it," the War Doctor said.

"Do what?" the general demanded, annoyed at the three Doctors already.

There was a paused before the eleventh Doctor spoke, his voice low. "We're going to freeze Gallifrey."

"I'm sorry, what?"

The tenth Doctor jumped in, "Using our TARDIS's, were going to freeze Gallifrey in a single moment in time."

"You know, like those stasis cubes?" the War Doctor added. "A single moment in time, held in a pocket universe."

"Except we're going to do it to a whole planet," the eleventh said.

"And all the people on it," Rose added, nodding at the general.

The general looked at each of them in disbelief. "What? Even if that were possible, which it isn't, why would you do such a thing?"

"Because the alternative is burning," the eleventh Doctor explained darkly.

"And I've seen that." The tenth Doctor said, his voice low.

"And I never want to see it again." The eleventh Doctor finished, his tone dangerous.

The general shook his head. "We'd be lost in another universe, frozen in a single moment. We'd have nothing."

"You would have hope," the eleventh Doctor argued. "And right now, that is exactly what you don't have."

"It's delusional! The calculations alone would take hundreds of years!"

"Oh, hundreds and hundreds –"

"But don't worry," the tenth Doctor cut off the eleventh, "I started a very long time ago."

A new voice jumped in, one that Rose had never heard except in her mind. "Calling the War Council of Gallifrey. This is the Doctor."

"You might say I've been doing this all my lives," the eleventh Doctor said, and Rose could almost see the satisfied smirk that would be on his face.

" _Good luck."_

" _Standing by."_

" _Ready."_

" _Commencing calculations."_

" _Soon be there."_

" _Across the boundaries that divide one universe from another."_

" _Just lock on to his coordinates."_

" _And for my next trick!"_ That voice was so familiar that Rose felt like she'd received a blow to the gut. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. She'd longed to hear that voice for so long, the Doctor that had been lost to her due to her own decisions. Tears formed in her eyes at the single utterance from his end. She paid no mind to what the general said until she heard him order the Doctor to go ahead.

There was another pause. "Okay." The eleventh Doctor said. "Gentlemen, we're ready. Geronimo!"

"Allons-y!" the tenth Doctor and Rose cried together. The TARDIS began to move at breakneck speeds, and Rose and the Doctor were left gripping the railing with all their might, laughing ecstatically as the TARDIS flew around the planet.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, the movement slowed, and they slumped heavily against the railing, still laughing. The Doctor was the first to rise, though Rose did soon after. "Where to?" She asked him.

"The National Gallery."

When they arrived, much like the last time, the other Doctors were already there, all siting in front of the painting they'd once stood in. Before they stepped out, Rose quickly reached over and took the Doctor's hand.

"I don't suppose we'll know if we actually succeeded. But at worst, we failed in doing the right thing, as opposed to succeeding in doing the wrong." The War Doctor was saying as he casually sipped a cup of tea.

Clara looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Life and soul, you are," she said sarcastically, sharing a smile with Rose, who was still holding the tenth Doctor's hand.

"What is it actually called?" The tenth Doctor wondered, slipping on his glasses with his free hand.

"We're not sure." Rose told him. "Either No More or Gallifrey Falls." She regarded the painting curiously. This was the first time she'd really been able to look at it, and she felt some relief that she wouldn't have to go back  _in_  it.

"Not very encouraging," the War Doctor murmured gruffly, and Rose shot him a small smile, shaking her head at him.

"How did it get here?" Rose asked the eleventh Doctor, whose eyes had drifted over to her.

He shrugged. "No idea."

"There's always something we don't know, isn't there?" The tenth Doctor murmured.

Rose grinned at him, a tug on his hand making him turn her gaze to meet hers. When he did, her eyes flashed gold and wicked smile was forming on her lips. "Maybe for you." She teased.

The War Doctor snorted before standing. "Well, gentlemen, it has been an honor and a privilege."

"Likewise," the suited Doctor responded with a smile.

"Doctor," the eleventh Doctor grinned and nodded his head.

The War Doctor sighed and nodded, thankful for the acknowledgement. He turned to Rose. "And you," he said, meeting her gaze. She smiled at him, letting go of the tenth Doctor's hand to take his. "You are an incredible woman, Rose Tyler, Bad Wolf, Valiant Child. Thank you for giving me a reason to fight again. To  _live_  again."

Rose said nothing, choosing instead to wrap her arms around his neck. He returned the tight hug enthusiastically. At the skin-to-skin contact, he felt the warm of her mind again, the golden presence that wove around him, entangling itself with him until they were one. He realized in that moment that it wasn't just these two Doctors that Rose had loved, loved, and would love, and she wasn't just  _important_  to every Doctor. She loved every Doctor. Every incarnation of him that would ever exist would be for Rose Tyler, and she would love him and defend him with a ferocity that left him breathless. In that moment, he felt loved for the first time in years.

He pulled away from her and hugged Clara, who kissed his cheek affectionately.

When they pulled away, the youngest man turned to the older two. "I won't remember this, will I?"

The eleventh Doctor shook his head. "The time streams are out of sync. You can't retain it, no."

The War Doctor sighed. "So I won't remember that I tried to save Gallifrey rather than burn it. I'll have to live with that." He took a deep breath before straightening his shoulders. "But for now, for this moment, I am the Doctor again. Thank you."

He turned to Rose one last time, and she smiled at him. "Until I see you again." She smiled, reaching up to stroke this cheek.

"It won't be this face." He argued.

She shook her head, the smile still on her lips. "Doesn't matter."

With that sentiment, he turned and headed into his own TARDIS, sending it back into the vortex.

Rose watched the shabbiest looking TARDIS disappear before turning back to the others. It was strangely sad to say goodbye to the Doctor that she'd never met, but she what his next form would be, and she knew that it would be  _good._

"I won't remember either, so you might as well tell me." The tenth Doctor was saying to his older self.

"Tell you what?"

"Where it is we're going that you don't want to talk about."

The eldest Doctor sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I saw Trenzalore," he said. "Where we're buried. We die in battle among millions."

The tenth Doctor frowned, tucking his hands into his pockets. "That's not how it's supposed to be."

The eleventh Doctor shrugged. "That's how the story ends, nothing we can do about it. Trenzalore is where you're going."

"Oh, never say nothing," the tenth Doctor drawled in a way that was so familiar that Rose's heart broke a little. "Anyway, good to know my future is in safe hands," he looked at Rose, his eyes brimming with emotion. He quickly turned to Clara. "Keep a tight hold on it, Clara," he told her with a smile.

"On it," Clara replied with a salute.

When he stepped into his TARDIS, Rose followed him, closing the door quietly behind her before turning to face him.

He stood proudly as he always had, hands in his pockets and pushing his long coat back to reveal the pin-stripped suit that she loved. He watched her as she stepped forward, not saying anything when she stopped when they were only a couple feet away from each other, looking into each other's eyes. He finally took a moment to take her in.

She looked older than the last time he'd seen her, but not by enough. There were no lines on her beautiful face, no signs of aging other that the weight of the world on her shoulders, so like him, and the wisdom and age in her shining whiskey-coloured eyes. He took in every feature, every detail of her that he could, ignoring the part of his brain that was telling him that it was ridiculous, that it wouldn't matter because as soon as she stepped out of his TARDIS he would forget her, forget that he had seen her, forget that he would see her again. And, if their time together had been a good indicator, he would have the relationship with her that he so desperately wanted.

"Will I see you again?" He asked her, taking a step forward so that they were mere inches apart. He could see the flecks of gold that seemed to permanently stain her honey-hazel eyes, a constant reminder of what she was. He could smell her familiar scent, and when he reached for her hand, he felt her presence in his mind. Her golden song rushed to fill every part of his mind, brightening it and taking away any and all darkness that she could simply by holding his hand. He felt her mind affectionately caress his, and he almost moaned allowed at the sensation.

"No," she murmured softly, apologetically. She said it as kindly as she could, but she could feel a rush of disbelief run through him.

He looked at her with sad eyes. "I always thought…if you found your way back to me, it would be to  _me_."

Treacherous tears pricked at her eyes, and Rose raised her hand to cup his face, running her thumb across his cheekbone as she'd done hundreds of times with her current Doctor. "Me too," she breathed, not trusting her voice. "I'm so sorry."

He shook his head, lifting a hand to her own cheek. "Never be sorry for finding me again," he told her, leaning forward so that his forehead rested against hers. Yet another thing he'd seen his other self do, he thought bitterly.

It was impossible to him, the confirmation that this would be the last time that he would see her with these eyes, smell her with this nose, feel his with these hands. He'd known, back when he'd dropped her off on the beach with his other self, the one that looked like him, that it would be the last time he would ever see her.

And yet…

He'd been certain – absolutely, beyond a doubt  _certain_  – that when he'd lost her the first time, when she'd lost her grip on the clamp and had fallen toward the bridge, screaming, and him screaming after her, that he'd lost her forever. It simply wasn't possible to get across the void alone, without the help of another Time Lord. But she'd done it. His incredible girl had gone against every rule, every law of time, and forced her way back to him.

Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth.

So, in the back of his mind, there'd always been hope that she would find her way back again, that she would come back to him. Because in this body alone he'd lost Rose, and Martha – oh, how horribly he'd treated Martha – and Donna, and it would be too much to really,  _really_  believe that his Rose, his impossible, wonderful Rose, was gone forever.

"Did you…" he started to ask, but he wasn't sure how to finish the question. Had she been happy? Had she missed him? How long had she been in the parallel world with her mother, her father, her brother, and his human self? Was it worth it?

"Have a good life?" Rose finished for him, a knowing smile on her face and her palm still on his jaw. He simply met her eyes, desperate to know the answer, desperate to know that he hadn't been the source of her misery, that she hadn't suffered like he had. "Yes. Doctor, I had a very good life. It couldn't have been any better. I watched my little brother grow up, I had a marriage, a husband who loved me, a family. I had the best life I could have possibly imagined." She let out a small, weak laugh, "and after all that – after getting my happily ever after, having an ordinary life with the love of my life – I still get to spend my forever with  _you_. I can't tell you how happy I've been, how happy I  _am_." Her free hand came up and the tips of her fingers lightly stroked down the side of his face, her smile widening when he leaned into her touch. "You make me so happy, Doctor."

"Rose," he said her name like a prayer, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again, because he wouldn't –  _couldn't –_ miss a single moment of her, not if he would never see her with these eyes again. She was looking at him much in the same way, eyes heavy with unshed tears and brimming with emotion. She sniffled slightly and stepped in closer so that she was resting against his chest. Her hands left his face and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him tight to her. His arms immediately went to her waist, and he pressed his cheek against the top of her head, inhaling the scent of her shampoo and of  _Rose_.

"I never stopped missing you," Rose murmured into his chest, and he felt the vibrations of her voice through his entire body. "Even when I was with  _him_ , he wasn't you, and I never stopped missing you. Never stopped loving you." Her voice was steady, but he could feel tremors shaking her body, and when she sniffed again he held her even tighter. The feel of her heartbeat against his might as well have been a third heart in his own chest.

He rubbed his cheek against her hair, reveling in the softness of her blonde locks, a more natural blonde than the last time he'd seen her. "But…you loved him?" He asked her quietly, his hearts speeding up in his chest.

She nestled further into his chest. "So much," she answered him, feeling his sign of relief more than hearing it.

"I have to go," her words were like ice cold water being dumped over his head. He hummed in acknowledgement, feeling a guilty pleasure when her arms didn't loosen around his neck. She let out a dry, joyless laugh, one that squeezed his hearts, and spoke again, this time her voice lost of its steadiness, "I can't believe I'll never see you again." She sobbed into his chest, and he didn't care that her tears would stain his suit. He held her as tight as he possibly could, fighting tears of his own. Tears wouldn't help her. He could be strong. He  _would_  be strong.

For  _her_ , he could do anything.

"You have to go," he whispered into her hair.

With a final squeeze, she stepped away from him, her hands immediately flying to her cheeks to wipe away tear tracks and she quickly shook her head. When she smiled back at him, there was no sign of her tears except for her red-rimmed eyes. She smiled up at him, and his hearts broke for them.

For the future that he would never have with her, but that she would have with him.

On impulse, she stepped forward and grabbed his lapels, pulling him to her level and pressing her lips against his. He'd never kissed her in this body, with the exception of when her mind had been overtaken by Cassandra. And this was  _nothing_  like when Cassandra had kissed him.

Her lips were soft against his, and he could taste the salt from her tears, and when she lightly ran her tongue along his bottom lip, he thought he might melt. And then, in his mind, there she suddenly was; a warm golden presence that burst into his mind, lighting up even the darkest, loneliest thought. He opened his mouth and was met with her lips, her taste, her  _tongue_. Her kiss was soft and warm as she pressed his tongue against his, flicking it lightly with hers playfully, and he smiled against her lips. His tongue lightly ran across the roof of her mouth, and she moaned lightly, and it vibrated through his entire core, his whole body, and into his fingertips. One of his hands went to her waist, pulling her tight to him, and the other went to her hair, gently tangling with the soft golden locks. He gently nipped at her bottom lip, and her tongue caressed his one last time before she pulled away. His lips tingled in the absence of hers, and he missed them desperately.

She met his eyes, and he felt a satisfying pride at the sight of her flushed cheeks and swollen lips. She leaned in against a pressed a light kiss to his cheek before stepping away from him, letting his hands drop. His entire body and mind screamed at him to reach for her again, to take her with him, to kiss her again, to never let her go. He covered his fear with a cocky, lopsided grin. "What do you say, Rose Tyler? One trip?"

She smiled affectionately at him, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "Would that really make it any easier?" She asked him, chuckling when he leaned into her touch. She let her hand drop and ignored the longing and hurt that crossed his expression. "Goodbye, my Doctor," she whispered, fighting more tears, and turned to leave.

"Rose," the Doctor's strangled voice called out to her, and she stopped, closing her eyes and chocking back sobs.

She whirled around and he was there, right behind her, looking at her through tortured brown eyes. She placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him down for one last, chaste kiss. When she pulled away, her eyes locked on his. "I love you, Doctor." She told him, all of her feelings flowing through the telepathic connection. He was almost brought to his knees with the strength of her conviction.

"Rose Tyler," he whispered, and she whimpered.

 _I love you_.

* * *

"Ready to go?" Rose asked when she entered to the TARDIS to see Clara sitting on one of the staircases and the Doctor leaning against the console.

"We were just waiting for you." The Doctor told her, pushing off against the console and coming towards her, stopping in front of her and stooping to be at eye level. He put his hands on either side of her face and examined her expression, taking in her red eyes and tear stained cheeks. He hesitantly leaned forward, as though he wasn't sure if she would want him to touch her. He lightly pressed his lips against her forehead, soaking in the gratefulness and love that made its way through her telepathic touch.

When he leaned away from her, meeting her eyes in concern, and then nodded, knowing that she wouldn't talk about it in front of Clara, who was deliberately not looking at Rose.

"So then, Rose Tyler," he asked, an excited grin on his face as he stepped away from her, gesturing to the console. "Backwards or forwards?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it, loves. Then end of Twelve Minutes, One Psychiatrist, and a Single Moment. Hope you enjoyed the ride! Please remember to leave a comment if you have time and tell me what you thought - I'm all about that constructive criticism!


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